Unforgettable
by cyberdemon
Summary: AU. Complete! Van and Fiona were once in love. They seperated and haven't seen each other since. When they finally see each other again, will they be able to put behind all obstacles and be together once again? warning lime and lemons.
1. now and then

A man looked out of a window down onto the streets below. People would say that he had a perfect life. He had money, a beautiful woman for a wife, and a life that people would kill for. 

He had to admit that at times he loved his life but there was other time that he hated it. People sometimes found himself staring at nothing with sad eyes. To him, he was staring into the past. To something that once was but could never be again.

"Excuse me Mr. Flyheight, but Mr. Crougar wishes to see you for right now," said a woman as she walked into Van's office. She noticed Van turn around in his chair with the far off look in his eyes once again. "He says that it is important that he needs to talk to you," said the woman as she walked out of the room.

'I just don't get it,' thought Van with a sigh as he stood up from his chair and walked towards the door. He was in charge of this entire company ever since his old boss Crougar retired. Van couldn't figure out why he was retiring; yet he seemed to stick around all the time. It made Van laugh a little trying to figure this out.

Van knew that Crougar valued the well being of this company and its workers more than anything. He wished nothing more than to see its success. Van was still young and hadn't had too much experience as of yet but he welcomed the help that Crougar always gave to him. Van figured that Crougar would truly retire when he was sure that the company would be in good hands.

He walked down the halls and came up to a large door. He gave it a small knock and when he heard a, "Come in," He opened up the door and walked into the door with a small smile on his face.

"You wished to see me sir?" asked Van as he took a seat across from an elderly man who had a smile on his face as well. The man that was across from Van was like a second father. Him and Van's own father were very close friends and that made him like family as it was.

"Yes. I have some matters that I think need to be brought by your attention. I have made a decision that I think that you would definitely benefit from," said Crougar as he stared at Van. "I realize that you are in charge now, but I have decided that I am going to hire you a personal assistant to help you get through this," said Crougar with a smile.

"I am pretty sure that I could do without one sir. So I don't really think that it will be necessary for you to have to do this," said Van not really wanting to have a personal assistant.

"You are a lot like me Van. At one time when I was about your age, I also felt the same way as you. Do you know what happened to me when I decided to go without one?" asked Crougar with the smile still on his face.

"I don't know. What happened to you?" asked Van wondering what happened to his mentor at that one time. Van thought that he got along just fine, and became the well known businessman that he was today.

"It nearly drove me insane," said Crougar with a small laugh as he sat back in his chair. "I became very thankful when I actually did get one. Before then I hardly got any sleep trying to get important matters done, barely had time to eat as well. It started to take an effect on my health. My assistant took care of many things and I was able to rest a little better. Trust me when I say that you will be happy to have one," said Crougar as he stood up from his chair.

Van thought about it for a second. After hearing that story, he felt a little differently about all of this. "I guess you could be right. My question is will this person be qualified for the job?" asked Van wanting to make sure that whoever it was didn't get in his way of doing his job.

"She graduated at the top of her class in college. She has a really impressive resume as it is. So don't worry about it. For this sort of job, it is necessary to have the person that would fit in this job best," said Crougar with a smile as he walked around his desk towards Van. "I am sure that you know of the party that is being held tonight. I will introduce you to her there. Until then, why don't you head home now and get ready for it. I will handle things for you here until then. You work too much anyways," said Crougar with a laugh.

"I will do that, thank you," said Van as he stood up. He gave Crougar a small handshake before he started to walk towards the door. 'My wife is not going to be happy about this,' thought Van with a grimace. She was a type of woman that would hate any woman that was in a certain radius of Van and now Van had a female assistant. Van gave a small chuckle as he walked out of the office.

"Hey Van, wait up," yelled Van's good friend Irvine. While Van was the president of the company, Irvine was the vice-president. The two of them tended to argue a lot but it was only friendly.

"Hey Irvine. Hey, are you going to be coming to the company party tonight?" asked Van as he stopped and allowed Irvine to catch up to him. He walked into the elevator when Irvine had caught up.

"Of course I am. Why the hell would I try and pass up free food? I would have to be crazy to try and do that. Plus, it is either that or I can stick around for Moonbay's cooking," said Irvine with a laugh. He wasn't saying that his wife was a bad cook in fact she was a pretty good cook when it came to certain things, but when it came to what she was making that night he knew it would only lead to disaster.

"It is sort of the opposite for me. It is either I go and eat, or stay and starve because Tiffany has to go on another photo shoot," said Van with a sigh. 'The joys of being married to a model,' thought Van with a sigh. "I am also obligated to go as it is because of my position with the company. I guess it is the same for you so I wonder why I asked that question earlier," said Van with a small laugh.

"Well I don't have to go but then it would make the company look really bad and then either you or Crougar would get on my case about how the vice- president should be at those sort of things," said Irvine as he laughed as well. He knew perfectly well that one of the two would definitely get on his case about it.

"You've got that right. Not having the vice-president there would let the media have a field day, and I really don't feel like answering any question from them," said Van with a loud laugh.

The elevator came to a stop on the garage floor and the two stepped out of it. The two didn't have to walk far before they reached Irvine's car. "Irvine, just one question. You are the second highest paid person here and yet still drive this piece of junk. You should by one of the newer models and not a version from a few years ago," said Van as he examined the black car. It had a few scratches around it but all in all it was still in pretty good condition.

Van remembered clearly when he first bought it. 'I was dragged along to go and help him look when I was supposed to... no! Forget about back then Van. It is in the past and I don't need to think about it right now,' thought Van with a stern face.

Thinking about the past always made him think of his old girlfriend. The two were madly in love but were forced to separate. Thinking about the past made Van think about the what ifs, and when you are married, that isn't something that you should be thinking about. He knew that it was impossible for him to forget but he had always kept trying.

"What can I say? I really like this car and I don't want another until this won't run anymore," said Irvine with a shrug of his shoulders and a smirk on his face as he hopped into the drivers seat.

"See ya Irvine. Tell Moonbay that I say hey, will ya?" asked Van as he waved behind him while walking towards her car.

"Just tell her that tonight because I am going to bring her whether she wants to come or not," said Irvine with a smirk on his face at the image of dragging his wife out of the house and to the party. It made him laugh pretty hard. He then pulled out of the parking spot and immediately sped out of the place.

"Now it is time to head home. I could definitely use a little rest before I have to get ready for the party," said Van with a sigh as he leaned into his seat. He stayed that way for a few minute before he started up the car and drove out of the garage in his blue convertible.

* * *

Van was tired beyond reason at that moment. 'Crougar was right, this could be a good thing for me,' thought Van because of how tired he was. He didn't have to start getting ready for another hour or so, so he tried to get a little sleep.

Dream

Van stood there in the park. It was late at night yet his girlfriend insisted on talking to him. She sounded very timid at that time and he had a feeling of dread at that moment for a reason that he didn't know of.

"Van," came a soft voice from behind him, which caused him to turn around and face the one woman that he loved more than anything in the world. Her blonde hair blew in the light wind giving her a radiance that Van had not seen before.

"What was it that you wanted to speak to me about Fiona?" asked Van with a small smile on his face as he stepped towards his girlfriend and wrapped her into his arms. He gave her a light yet passionate kiss before she had a chance to speak.

The two broke apart a few minutes later in search of breath. "Van, there is something very important that I need to talk to you about," said Fiona backing away a little and staring at Van. She saw that she had his undivided attention so she decided to continue talking. "I am sure that you know that I am leaving tomorrow for college," said Fiona as she stared at the ground.

"Yeah, I do. I wish there was a way that we could be closer because you are going to a college that is too far away," said Van in a sad tone as he watched Fiona stare at the ground like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"I think that if I don't say this now it will probably end up being far too difficult to say later. So, I think it would be best if we just broke up," said Fiona in a sad tone. She didn't want to do this but she knew that it would be for the best since neither of them would even be able to see each other at all and that could probably lead to a miserable life.

Van was taken by surprise. If there was one thing that he did not expect, it was her saying those words that a lot of people dreaded hearing. "Wh- what?" asked a startled Van.

"If you think about it then it is probably for the best. We won't be able to see each other and most long distance relationships always end. I love you so much that it hurts to say this but it would make many things easier for us if we were to just end it now," said Fiona in a hurt tone as a single tear rolled down her face. She did not want to end it but she knew it would happen eventually.

Van was upset but he knew that Fiona had a good point with this. "So... this is it?" asked Van in a really saddened voice. "After all that we have gone through together, this is it?" he asked again managing to keep a calm voice. He couldn't bare the thought of not being together.

"Just think about it now. You can probably find someone better than me," said Fiona although that hurt the most to say. She didn't want someone else to have him, she wanted to keep him.

"No. There is no one better than you. I love you and you know that. I don't think I will ever be able to find anyone even remotely close to you," said Van while he tried to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall. Van quickly scooped her up into his arms once more, and he held her tight because he knew that it would probably be the last time that he would be able to do this with her.

"I am sorry Van," said Fiona as she pushed him away before she ran off down the road. Something inside Van wouldn't allow him to give chase so Fiona got away before he could do anything.

End Dream

Van eyes fluttered open but he just laid there. It wasn't the first time that he had had this type of dream. They had been plaguing his thoughts ever since that day about seven years before.

He had never seen Fiona since that day or even heard from her. He couldn't figure out for the life of him why he just let her leave his life. Irvine tended to get on his case very once in a while about marrying his wife when Irvine thought that Van was still in love with Fiona.

'No! Fiona is just a thing of the past now. I love Tiffany now. If I didn't than I wouldn't have gotten married to her,' thought Van as he refused to get up. Ever since that day, Van's heart laid shattered inside of his chest. When he met his wife it seemed to be fixed but for some reason there always seemed to be something missing like part of his heart never healed.

"I see that you finally decided to wake up," said a beautiful young woman as she walked into a room wearing a bathrobe. She was very beautiful with long brown hair that fell down to he back, lovely violet eyes, and many other things that men would kill for.

"I was just a bit tired, so I decided to take a small nap before I have to leave. I am fully awake now though," said Van as he stood up and walked behind his wife. He wrapped his arms around her waist and fiddled with the knot that held the robe together. Her hands stopped him though.

"Not now. I am in a bit of a hurry to get to my photo shoot," said Tiffany as she escaped from his grasp leaving a very annoyed Van standing in the same position. She walked over to their closet and grabbed a pair of black pants and a blue shirt and slipped them on.

'Yeah, yeah. Like always. Always an excuse. I'm tired; I'm in a hurry. Man, we never get to have any time alone because of her job,' thought Van with a frustrated sigh on his face. He had known her for about three years now. Ever since their wedding about a year before, he has only managed to be with her on their honeymoon and maybe once after that. It was starting to get annoying. With a sigh, he walked into the bathroom to take a quick shower.

"Are you sure that you don't want to skip your plans and come along? It might not be too late for that," said Van a few minute later once he was out of the shower and putting on a tie.

"You know that I can't do that. They need me to be there and I am going to be there. It is not really going to hurt that I miss some of these every once in a while," said Tiffany as she put some black high heels on to go along with the black dress that she already had on.

Van gave a low groan upon hearing this. "Once in a while? You have practically missed every one that we have had since we got married," said Van with a sigh as he button up the wrists of the dress shirt.

"Hey! Don't blame me for being busy with my work. You have your job and I have mine so don't get on my case about this," she said in an exasperated voice as she walked out of the room and into the bathroom.

'Man, she sure seems in a bit of a bad mood today,' thought Van as he put on his shoes. 'I only brought up a simple subject. She didn't have to bite my head off about it,' thought Van as he grabbed his coat and walked out of the bedroom.

He walked up towards the bathroom door and gave a knock onto it. "Hey! I have to get going. I will talk to you when you get back," said Van having a feeling that he was going to be the one that got back home first. When he didn't hear a reply, he just let out a sigh and walked out of the room. 'Perhaps it could have been worse. I could have told her what was happening. I would have never heard the end of her complaining,' thought Van considering himself lucky at that moment but he knew that she would eventually find out and that was something that he hoped to be far away from that when it happened.


	2. the past returns

"Talk about Fancy, and to think that it is all free for us," said Moonbay with a smirk as she stepped out of hers and Irvine's car. She was wearing a black dress that fit well with her curves and her hair was currently pulled back into one ponytail compared to her regular four-ponytail style. "I guess that that is one of the good things about these events, what makes them bad is how boring they can tend to get," said Moonbay with a sigh. 

"You would go to anything that has the word free in it," Irvine whispered into ear, which made her laugh. Irvine was just wearing a tuxedo like all of the other men that were around.

"I guess you got me there but it is better than using up some money even if it is a little amount for us," said Moonbay with a smirk. It was true they did have quite a bit of money but not nearly as much as Van had.

Irvine couldn't help but chuckle at her statement. "Come on. Why don't we go find Van? I just hope that the wicked witch of the west isn't here," said Irvine before he broke out in laughter and soon Moonbay was laughing along with him.

"Yes, lets go. We definitely need to save Van from her before she ends up driving him insane," said Moonbay laughing. "Then again maybe if he does you will get his job while he gets help," said Moonbay but Irvine knew that she was just joking because he was their friend and they did not wish to see anything bad happen to him. 'although it does sound awfully tempting,' thought Irvine with a small chuckle.

"Just remember to be behaved because this is still a business thing in hopes that we can start dealing with a very prominent company. So please be nice," said Irvine in a joking tone.

"Aren't I always?" asked Moonbay as she leaned up and kissed Irvine on the lips. She pulled away a few seconds later and then she said, "You are the one that needs to behave though."

"Come on, let go and have a good time with all of the free things," said Irvine as he circled his arms around Moonbay's waist and they walked in through the fancy front doors.

"Ah Van. Good to see you here nice and early," said Crougar once he walked up to Van. He took a quick look and noticed that one thing seemed to be missing at that moment, "I see that your wife decided to skip out on our little gathering yet again," said a slightly annoyed Crougar. He never did like the woman and he was sure that Irvine felt the same way as well.

"Yeah, well she had a photo shoot to go to and I could persuade her otherwise," said Van as he let out a sigh. Taking a seat, he looked at the numerous people all over the place looking like they were having a good time with their families and friends. "It kind of gets on my nerves at times because I would like to spend a little more time with her but she is always away because of her job. I guess that that won't happen anytime soon, and I am stuck going out to these things by myself," said Van as he leaned back a little in the chair.

"Sorry to hear that. Listen, I have to go find your new assistant. It would be best for you to meet her now. Maybe she can help us out with the little deal that we are going to try and get tonight. I heard she is very brilliant, was always at the top of her class at every school she has gone," said Crougar thinking that it would not only benefit Van but their company as well to have her with them.

'Sounds kind of like Fiona by always being at the top,' thought Van with a small and muffled laugh. He looked up to see Crougar staring at him wondering what he was laughing about. "It's nothing, I was just remembering something from my past," said Van trying to convince Crougar that he wasn't laughing at her accomplishments.

"Oh, ok then. I had better go. If I find her before you than I will come and talk to you," said Crougar as he shook Van's hand and then walked off leaving the poor man all alone.

Van just sat there for a few minutes before he heard the distinct snapping of a camera. Only one thought came to his mind. 'The media,' thought Van with a groan because they never liked to give him a moment's peace. He looked up and saw exactly what he thought. 'Crougar is too lenient with these guys. Maybe I should make a rule about no cameras in these type of events,' thought Van as he got up quickly and walked away as fast as his legs could carry him to make sure they didn't see him.

Van was walking towards a door that would lead to a higher balcony so he can overlook things from there for the time being. He stopped very quickly when something oddly familiar caught his eyes. Rubbing them, he looked only to see that whatever it was wasn't there. 'Must have been my imagination,' thought Van before he continued on his path before the media caught him.

"What are you doing up here Van? Shouldn't you be down there talking with all of the guests?" asked Irvine when he walked up to one of the balconies only to find Van standing.

"I like it up here. It is peaceful and it allows me to get away from all of the noise as well as all the nosy reporters," said Van with a sigh as he leaned against the bars that were in behind him.

"I know what you mean. That guy is also been searching all over the place for you. He was starting to bug the hell out of the rest of the guests by continuously asking them questions. So Crougar had him escorted out in order to keep the people from strangling him," said Irvine with a laugh as he joined Van against the bars.

"Where's Moonbay? Why aren't you with her instead of standing around here?" asked Van as he looked around but found no sign of Moonbay anywhere. "So where is she?" Van repeated his question.

"Don't know. She just ran off in a bit of a hurry saying something that I couldn't understand. I trust that she won't do anything wrong though," said Irvine as he pulled up a seat and sat down. 'Not wrong like your wife does to you anyways. I think that she is just a leech but I have no proof,' thought Irvine deciding to keep that little comment to himself.

"Good for you. At least your wife is even here, mine never seems to want to come to any of these events," said Van with a groan as he slouched down deeper within his chair.

"I just don't see why you stay with her. You don't seem to be too happy so why don't you do something like get a divorce?" asked Irvine hoping that his advice would get to Van. Ever since Van had been married to that woman he had been no fun to even be around.

"I can't do that," said Van quickly. "I gave a vow that day that I don't intend on breaking. It wouldn't really be fair for her either that I get a divorce just because she is always away on her job. Plus I never did say that I was unhappy with her," said Van getting up from his seat and turning around to the balcony that overlooked a small garden in back of the lovely building.

"You may have never of said it but it is written all over your face," a still seated Irvine said as he got more comfortable. Irvine would have said more but when he looked at Van he could tell that Van's attention wasn't on him but on something else that was down in the garden.

Van could have sworn that his eyes had been playing tricks on him at that moment. 'It can't be,' thought Van rubbing his eyes but the person he was seeing wasn't disappearing. 'Maybe Crougar was right about this job nearly driving people insane,' thought Van but he had to know if what he was seeing was real. "I have to go," said Van running off before Irvine could stop him.

Van ran down the stairs as fast as he could and ran out of the back doors to the building before anyone could see or talk to him. He had to know if what he had seen was true or not. He ran out into the garden but there was no one there. He was slightly disheartened but then he heard a snap of a twig behind him. He turned around to see a very beautiful blonde woman staring at him with a shocked expression on her face. 'I was right,' thought Van. Many old memories seemed to surface within his mind as he watch the young woman before him. He then let one word escape his mouth, "Fiona."

Flashback

Van sat very bored behind a desk. School had barely started for the day and he was already bored out of his mind. He was in eighth grade and was a pretty smart student despite all of the boring and stupid things that he hated about school.

Since he had arrived at school that day he had been hearing constant rumors going around between friends about a beautiful new female student that had just transferred into the school. Van didn't really think too much of it at the time.

Van nearly jumped up when the door to the classroom opened up swiftly and in walked the teacher followed by a beautiful woman that he could only guess was the new girl that everyone had been talking about. The rumors didn't do fair justice for this woman. She wasn't just beautiful to Van; she was gorgeous, unlike anything that he had ever seen before. He could guess that the rest of the men in the room thought of the same thing because many of them were drooling in their seats.

"Class please settle down and close your mouths," said the teacher very disturbed with the way the class was acting. "We have a new student today. Her name is Fiona so please help her if she needs it," said the teacher. "Now Fiona, why don't you take a seat next to Mr. Flyheight," said the teacher pointing towards Van who straightened up almost immediately.

Van felt very uncomfortable with all of the jealous stares that many of the people in the class were giving him but he ignored it. He watched her as she walked down the isle and took the seat next to Van. "Hi, I'm Van," Van said holding out a hand for her to shake.

"I'm Fiona," Fiona said with a small smile on her face. She took his hand and shook it. That was the start of a friendship that would have eventually turned into something more than either of them would have expected. Something that neither of the would forget.

Two years had past since he had first met Fiona. The two of them became very good friends but lately Van found himself wanting more than just that. It didn't really matter though because Fiona was going out with someone else, much to his jealousy that it wasn't him.

He was just strolling casually through the park as the sun was setting. The sky turned many beautiful colors as the sun set in the horizon, which put Van at ease. A breeze blew past but with it Van heard a slight noise. It almost sounded as if someone was crying nearby. Being the nice person that he was, Van quietly walked towards the source of the sound in order to help whoever it was that was crying. He never could stand it when someone cried, especially a woman.

Van walked very carefully to where he was hearing the crying was coming from. It ended up leading him to a large tree. It also happened to be a tree that Van had loved to climb up when he was a kid. Very few people knew of this special spot of his. One was Irvine, and the other was Fiona that made Van wonder because the crying that he was hearing was coming from a female.

Van walked around to the other side of the tree only to find Fiona sitting holding her knees with tears running down her face. It sent a surge of pain into Van's heart to see one of his best friends crying the way that she was. "Hey Fiona, what are you doing here? Didn't you have a date?" asked Van with all sympathy towards her because he pretty much figured out what was wrong with Fiona.

Fiona jumped a little because she didn't hear anyone coming at that moment but she managed to calm down when she saw that it was Van. "Oh hey Van," said Fiona quietly while wiping away the tears that were currently falling down her face. "I didn't hear you coming," she admitted while he took a seat right next to her.

"I see. So what's up? It doesn't sound like your date went very well considering that I just found you crying and don't try to hide it because I saw and heard you. So what happened?" asked Van with a worried voice.

Fiona just sighed knowing that it would be pointless to hide it from Van because sooner or later she was sure that he would eventually find out the truth and she guessed that it might as well be from her. Fiona always felt comfortable talking to Van anyways. She only really started to go out with the guy because she didn't think that Van had much of an interest in her the way that she wanted. "It's stupid but we came here as part of the date he wanted to do things with me that I am not ready for. I told him no and he got angry and just left me here," said Fiona trembling slight but when she felt a warm hand on her shoulder she managed to calm down greatly.

"That bastard. That has got to be one of the lowest things I have ever heard of someone doing to a person. Don't worry about him Fiona. He was just being a very big asshole," said Van with a smile to try and get one out of Fiona. "You are probably tired, why don't I take you home," said Van as more of a statement rather then a question. He didn't really get a chance to get up before he felt Fiona head fall onto his shoulder. Van could help but let a smile escape his lips.

Fiona felt so content just sitting there with her head resting upon Van's shoulder. She had pretty much fallen for him a long time ago but she always kept it to herself because she didn't want to ruin their friendship by saying something that he didn't want to hear.

It was pretty much the exactly the same for Van but he didn't think of it too much. He just really enjoyed being in her company. Van kind of found it funny how at their school rumors were going around that the two of them were together despite Fiona going out with different men. He wished more then anything for that rumor to come true but that really wasn't up to him at the moment. It was really more of a decision that he wished to hear from Fiona but he felt that it wouldn't happen.

Van was so lost in thought that he didn't even notice that Fiona had been staring into his eyes for a while. When he did notice her she quickly turned her head in another direction but he had noticed. "Something on my face?" asked Van using his hand to wipe at an imaginary thing.

"No, I was just thinking about what a good friend you have been to me. you have always been there for me whenever I needed you and I thank you for that," said Fiona with a smile as she leaned up to give him a kiss on the cheek, just something friendly that she has done in the past, but he turned a little at the last moment and her lips came in contact with his.

The two of them jumped apart almost immediately with blushed that made the two of them seem like tomatoes. Van found that he had pretty much lost the ability of speech at that moment. 'Did that just happen? Did she mean to or did I just make a big mistake?' he asked herself while the blush only continued to grow. He looked at Fiona to see that she was just in the exact same state.

'Oh god, what have I done?' Fiona asked herself feeling the burning heat that was going through her face. 'It felt so good though. No, I can't think of something like that, what would Van think about it?' she asked herself growing an even brighter red if it was even possible.

The two of them turned to look at each other's faces. Fiona was about to say something but she wasn't able to even open her mouth before Van came down to her with a kiss, this time though it was completely intentional and Fiona was not about to complain about something that she had wanted for quite a while.

He was in complete heaven. The taste of her lips was so addicting that he never wanted to break it. 'It's a dream; it had to be a dream. Ah hell it is such a good dream that I don't want to wake up,' thought Van with a smile.

End Flashback

Van remembered that day so clearly because it was the very start of their relationship. In all of his life, he had never been so happy to be with one person. To see her again after all these years seemed to bring something out of him, something that he didn't expect to know anymore.

"V-Van. W-what are you doing here?" asked a very nervous Fiona because of out of all the people that she thought she probably wouldn't see again, he was probably one of the top few despite the fact that she loved him. She was glad to see him but she was very startled.

"I am here on business. What are you doing here?" asked Van having close to the same thought about Fiona as she had on him. She was so close to him at that moment that he could almost reach out and touch her.

"Same here," said Fiona coming up with a lack of words for a moment that she had been both dreaming and dreading about for the past few years. 'Think of something to say,' her mind yelled at her but she still came up with no words. When she was about to say something they were interrupted.

"Ah there you are Van, I have been looking for you," said Crougar coming out with a smile on his face. He noticed Fiona and got a little confused. 'Van isn't cheating on his wife is he?' he asked himself. "Why hello, what is your name?" asked Crougar holding out a hand.

"It is Fiona, and it is nice to meet you," said Fiona putting on a smile as she reached out and shook his hand knowing who he was already. He was the person that she had been looking for all night.

"Ah, so you are Fiona. I have been looking for you all night. Van, this is the woman that is going to be your personal assistant from now on," said Crougar with a smile not noticing the look on Van's face.

Van and Fiona wore the exact same expression on her face; it was a dumbfounded look but was quickly replaced by shock. The two of them couldn't believe what they had just heard. They turned to look at each other before turning back to Crougar and yelling at the same time, "What!"


	3. friends

Van was dead he just knew it. As soon as his wife would hear about all of this then he was knew of the fight that would end up ensuing. He knew it would be worse when she found out that it was his old girlfriend.  
  
'Great, I can see it now. Big businessman is murdered by his wife,' thought Van cringing at the mere thought of it. 'Wait, maybe I just won't tell her that part. Then again, she will probably find out one-way or another and then it will be even worse,' thought Van while wishing he could just disappear at any moment.  
  
Beside Van, Fiona was walking very quietly and very calmly. He had known her long enough to know better than that. She was probably thinking that things would be much harder than either of them had originally thought.  
  
"So, Fiona," said Van figuring that he might as well break the ice that was surrounding them at that moment. "How have things been going for you in these past years. We haven't talked at all since graduation," said Van kind of nervously. Just having her back at his side felt oddly comforting yet made him very nervous at the same time.  
  
"Just fine I guess," quietly with a little shrug of her shoulders. "By the way, I am happy for your marriage. Sorry that I couldn't come because I was a little busy," said Fiona but anyone could tell that it wasn't the complete truth.  
  
Van knew that wasn't the reason. It would feel a little odd seeing someone you once loved getting married to someone else. Van actually felt that maybe he shouldn't have invited her because it wouldn't be right to her or him to let her come but it was Irvine and Moonbay that insisted on inviting her. Van was beginning to wonder if there was an ulterior motive for the reason that they wanted that.  
  
"There is no reason to lie to me Fiona. I know the reason that you didn't come and I really don't blame you for it. I wouldn't have wanted to put you through something like that, it was really Irvine and Moonbay's idea," admitted Van because he knew he could never really lie to Fiona, it had been that way ever since he had met her.  
  
"You know me too well," said Fiona with a small but reluctant smile. "So how are things going with her? Do you have any little Van's running around the place yet?" she asked letting off a small laugh at the thought. There were many times before they broke up that she wished that it were her that gave him something like that.  
  
"No, as much as I wish that I could have some right now Tiffany and I are always too busy that we barely get to spend too much time together," said Van a little sadly. Although he didn't really feel like talking about it at that moment, it was nice to be able to just talk to her like nothing had ever happened to them and they were just friends like before. "What about you? Do you have any kids yet?" asked Van watching her face. Over the years, she had seemed to grow even more beautiful then she was when they were going out. 'Stop thinking like that! You're married!" he berated himself.  
  
"No, I've never even had that type of relationship with anyone yet. I am going to be getting married in a few months though," said Fiona with a smile but you can hear a bit of sadness laced into her voice.  
  
Van wondered why he felt like she was sad at that moment. He had to admire her strength though; she was able to hold off on sex for such a long time. Even with how madly in love they were when they were going out, that was the one thing that the two of them never did together. Van sometimes wondered what would have happened if they did end up having sex at some point. They came pretty damn close a number of times but they never did it with each other.  
  
"Really? I am happy for you," said Van but he felt like punching himself at that moment for some odd reason. "Who is he? I wonder if I know him," said Van as they came to the balcony that Van had been on when he had seen Fiona. Irvine wasn't there anymore at that moment. Van felt that this was good because that would mean that he could have a little more time to be able to catch up on events with Fiona.  
  
"You probably don't know him. His name is Ethan. I met him about two years ago at a party very much like this that my previous job was holding. He just proposed to me a few days ago," she said holding up a very expensive looking diamond rings.  
  
"That's nice, very similar to the one that I gave to my wife. I hope that the two of you will be very happy together. By the way, why did you leave you old job to come here?" asked Van in a curious tone.  
  
"This place has a much better working environment and more benefits then that place. Not to mention the fact that my old boss wouldn't stop flirting with me," said Fiona causing both her and Van to laugh a little bit. Their past was gone at that moment, they became the friends that they were before they became a couple. "So how are Irvine and Moonbay? I heard you talking about them a few minutes ago," said Fiona with the smile that Van had fallen in love with in high school.  
  
"They are just fine. The two of them got married a few years back. Irvine works here as the Vice-president of the company and he does a pretty good job at it as well. The two of them are somewhere around here. We should go look for them later, I am sure that they would be very happy to see you again," said Van with a smile. "Now that I come to think about it, you didn't go to their wedding either," said Van after thinking it over a little.  
  
"I was going to go to it but something really did come up at that time," said Fiona and this time Van really did know that she was speaking truthfully. You could tell that she felt really bad about missing it.  
  
Van was about to say something when a loud voice interrupted him. He knew without a doubt who it was that was talking. "Fiona!" yelled Moonbay happily as she ran up the steps to the balcony to see her good friend talking with Van. "It is so good to see you again. I thought it was you that I saw earlier," she said even happier if it was even possible.  
  
"That explains where you ran off to earlier," said Irvine with a smirk as he walked up behind her in his usual calm yet arrogant tone. To Fiona, he hadn't changed a bit in all the years that she hadn't seen any of them. Everything else had seemed to change however. Life is very ironic with the type of twists that it puts in your path towards happiness. You think that you might actually reach it and then and obstacle is put in your way. Hers was the one thing that she didn't want more than anything, Van.  
  
When she got out of college, Fiona was very tempted to try to be with Van again, but by that time she found out that he was with someone else and she just stood back and eventually Van and the woman got married.  
  
She knew it was a mistake in the first place to let him go. Yet she did and has since agonized over her mistake. It hurt her to learn that he got married. To get her mind off of it she buried herself in her work, which was eventually how she met her fiancé. To see Van now after all of these years, it sent a pain back into her heart as she pondered the what-ifs in her life. She felt happy with her fiancée though because she loved him. She didn't know how it compared with her being with Van though. She knew it was wrong to compare them but it was something that she couldn't stop from happening.  
  
"So Fiona, where have you been all these years? I haven't talk to you in so long," said Moonbay in a fake hurt voice. "Come on, we have a lot to catch up on," said Moonbay forcibly taking Fiona's arm and dragging her out of the balcony so they could get a private talk in.  
  
"Wow, this is definitely a surprise seeing her here now of all time," said Irvine taking a seat next to where Van was sitting at that moment. "Hey Van, wouldn't it be funny if Fiona turned out to be the person that was supposed to be your secretary?" asked Irvine with a laugh while Van turned to look at him with a strange look that told Irvine all. "Oh, that even stranger news to hear," he said rubbing the back of his head.  
  
"What am I going to do Irvine? I don't think I will be able to have Fiona around and be able to keep my sanity intact. I know I am married, but after seeing Fiona it seemed to bring up long dormant thoughts that I had thought I had put long behind me," said Van with a sigh as he leaned back and starred at the stars above him.  
  
"You could just dump your wife and get back together with Fiona. It is in both my opinion that you two were the ones that were meant to be with each other," said Irvine but it earned him a smack upside the head from Van.  
  
"I am not going to leave my wife just because I suddenly see Fiona again after all of these years. I have my wife and Fiona has her fiancé. We may have once have been a couple but that was a long time ago and it can never happen again," Van said but his voice seemed to betray him at that moment because it came out as uncertainty.  
  
Irvine let off a small sigh. "Alright then, at least answer me this. If you weren't married and Fiona wasn't getting married, then what would you do at this moment?" he asked hoping that Van would make a reply to prove that he was still in love with his old girlfriend.  
  
"I don't really know what I would think about it if that was the case. We broke up so many years ago and I haven't even seen her at all in that time. I admit that I would be much happier to see her than I am now but other than that, I am clueless as to how I would feel," admitted Van with a depressed sigh.  
  
"I am sure that you are happy either way. I highly doubt that two people who were so deeply in love with each other like you and Fiona were could just so easily forget about all the time that they had spent together. I want you to look me in the eye and tell me that you don't like her anymore," said Irvine staring intently at Van waiting for some sort of reply.  
  
Van did look him in the eye. "I admit that I still have very small feelings left for her but I don't love her the way that I used to anymore. It was her choice to break up all of those years ago. I love my wife now, not Fiona. You need to understand that. You are married to Moonbay, so you should know what I mean by me loving my wife," said Van starting to stand up because he had a meeting soon.  
  
"Your marriage and my marriage are completely different Van. I am not even going to go into the details because it would go on for so long that we would be here for a few nights," said Irvine with a slight smirk as he thought of just a few of the many differences.  
  
"Yeah, whatever. We don't have the time for this though. We have to get to the meeting that this was all set up for. I am sure that everyone is here now and that means there are other things we have to do," said Van as he got up and walked away with Irvine following shortly behind him.  
  
Fiona and Moonbay seemed to be deep in conversation about all they had done for the past few years. Fiona knew one question that was bound to come up at some point and her suspicions were confirmed a few moments later when Moonbay asked the one question that she knew was coming.  
  
"So Fiona. What do you think about working as Van's personal secretary?" asked Moonbay with a smirk on her face. She knew the two of them were bound to have some feelings left for each other, which would more than likely cause a few problems later on.  
  
"It is ok I guess. We may have once have been together but that was a long time ago. I am with someone now that I love very much so I think that it shouldn't cause too much of a problem," said Fiona reading Moonbay's mind like a book.  
  
Moonbay was about to respond to it when Van and Irvine walked up to the two ladies. "Fiona, we have a short meeting that we have to get to and you need to come to it as well, you too Moonbay," said Van and when he saw Fiona and Moonbay nod their heads he turned around to start walking slowly away for them to catch up.  
  
"Sorry that we can't talk at this exact moment, but I am sure that we will be able to talk for a long time from now on though," she said with a smile before she turned around and followed after Van and Irvine.  
  
The three of them walked for a little while before they came up to a table where Crougar was waiting for them along with two other people, one of which Van had met before. Karl Shubaltz was a business rival but also a good friend of Van's from the many encounters they had ever since Van took charge over the company. The one that was on the left of Karl looked a little like him but he looked very bored at that moment. "Ah, Van it is about time the four of you finally showed up," said Crougar with a smile as he stood up as well as Karl and the other two people at that table. The one that looked like Karl seemed to stare at Fiona intently with a slightly red face.  
  
"It is nice to see you again Van," said Karl with a smile as he shook Van's hand. "This is my younger brother Thomas," said Karl pointing towards Thomas who merely waved back a little embarrassed. Besides for his brother, he had never been around such powerful people, not to mention the very beautiful young woman that was standing by Van.  
  
Fiona seemed to not know what they were planning to do at that moment. Irvine seemed to notice this and leaned over to whisper into her ear, "This is more of just a regular dinner than anything else. We will talk a bit about business like possible future projects that we can join together to do. That is the whole point of this party, to allow us to come together on friendly terms and talk. It is also a way that we are trying to raise money for charity," he whispered into her ear.  
  
Fiona merely nodded her head as she looked back towards the table where she saw Thomas's eyes starring intently upon her. It made her a little uneasy to feel his gaze upon her so she just looked away hoping that he would stop at some point.  
  
The dinner seemed to go along very smoothly. The five at the table seemed to talk for a good while about business and other things. While they did that, all of the rest of the guests were either doing the same thing or out on the dance floor.  
  
Van laughed at bit as he looked over towards Fiona to see that she hadn't really spoken much during the entire time that they were there. Van then listened to the music that came on to realize that it was also one of Fiona's favorite songs as well. Irvine must have heard it was well as he gave Van a slight shove towards Fiona. 'We will have to work together so we might as well try to break this ice around us,' thought Van as he got up and held out his hand to Fiona. She must have been thinking along the same lines because she took his hand.  
  
The two of them walked out into the middle of the dance floor. Van carefully placed his hands upon Fiona's waist while Fiona put her hands on his shoulders. The two of them swayed to the music as they both tried to think of anything to say.  
  
"Fiona, I don't want there to be any tension between us because of this job. You were good at the job, which was why you were hired, not because we used to go out. I didn't even know it was you until Crougar told us a early tonight," said Van hoping that she would talk to him.  
  
"I don't want any either but I think that it might cause a few problems with your wife by having your old girlfriend as you personal assistant," said Fiona with a small giggle that Van joined in as well.  
  
"Un... yeah. I have definitely got to think about how it is that I am going to tell her about this so that they don't end up finding my body in some gutter tomorrow morning," said Van making Fiona laugh which was like music to his ears. "Why don't we put our whole past behind us Fiona? Back long before we ever got together. Your friendship has always meant a great deal to me. So what do you say, friends?" asked Van hopefully.  
  
Fiona seemed to think it over for a few minutes but she knew that she could want nothing more for them to once again just to be friends. "Yes, I would definitely like that a lot Van," said Fiona with a smile as the two of them swayed to the music that they had danced to so many times before then. 


	4. catching up

Van was nearly asleep on his feet as he walked into his house later that night. He figured that as soon as his wife heard about what happened, he wouldn't get any sleep anyways. So that only made it worse.  
  
He hoped to get in and get to sleep before she woke up, saw him, and started to ask every question imaginable about what happened. He knew that she was back by that time so he walked as quietly as he could into the house. Nothing had been going his way today.  
  
"It is about time that you got home," came Tiffanies voice from the left side where the living room was. She didn't sound to angry at least not at that moment. She had been known to change moods very quickly however on many occasions. "What took you so long?" she asked getting a bit serious.  
  
"It has been a really long night and I really want to get to sleep so can we please just drop the subject until the morning," said Van with a loud yawn while he sat down on the couch putting his hands behind his head and leaning back.  
  
"I heard from the old man a few days ago when he tried to call you to talk about it that you were going to get an assistant. What is this person like?" Tiffany asked with a hint of annoyance in her voice but it was so small that almost no one would have been able to hear it.  
  
Van smacked his head hoping that that one subject would not come up for the rest of the night. "You know, you could have told me about that a few days ago instead of letting Crougar tell me about it only earlier today," said Van hoping to start something that would get her mind off that one subject for a while.  
  
"So I have been a little too busy that I forgot to bring up the subject. Now answer my question," she ordered Van making him a cringe a little. She knew that he was trying to hide something almost immediately after he tried his best to make sure that she didn't get an answer to her question.  
  
"I'm tired, I'm going to bed," said Van standing up and he attempted to walk by her but she grabbed him by his collar and with more strength than he knew that she had, she threw him back onto the couch with very little effort.  
  
"Quit changing the subject and just answer my damn question. You are hiding something and I know. Crougar wouldn't mention anything about it as well so I know something is up. Now answer it before I have to get rough," she said in an angry voice because she hated to have thing hidden from her.  
  
Van couldn't help but let a smirk cross his face at the way that she said what she said. "You I would kind of like it if you got a little rough," he said while laughing a little bit at the red that popped up into her face but she kept a stern grip on his and shoved him further into the couch. Van knew he would be in a world of pain if he didn't answer her soon. "It's um... it's my old girlfriend," he said while cringing at what he knew was about to happen.  
  
Tiffany kept a calm face for a second before everything registered in her brain. She had heard of this ex-girlfriend many times when her and Van had just met. "WHAT!" she yelled pretty much right into Van's ear. She was fully aware of the troubles that all of this would cause for her.  
  
Van was lucky that he didn't go deaf when she yelled at the pitch that she did right into his ear. He knew that he was going to be in for a very long night. He was hoping that he could get away but there was no chance of that.  
  
"What do you mean it is your old girlfriend! Fire her! There is no way that I am going to let you suddenly get involved with an old flame!" she yelled, she was perfectly intent on having things go her way at that moment. She knew of many ways in which she could use in order to achieve it as well.  
  
"No! I am not going to just fire her just because you want me to. This has nothing to do with our past. I didn't even know it was her until just earlier tonight. It was Crougar that hired her anyways so don't get on my case about it!" yelled Van getting out of her grip because she must have been surprised that he would actually yell at her like that.  
  
He tried to walk away but she ended up grabbing him and throwing him back on the couch before he could get very far away. Before he realized what was going on, he was lying on his back with her sitting right over him. 'Damn it! Why now?' he mentally yelled in his head. He knew that she was only doing this because she knew that she couldn't win this argument against him so she chose the only way that she thought she could use to make him change his mind but he knew that not even this was going to make him change his mind.  
  
Van felt like he was definitely in a much better mood the next morning when he drove down the still quiet streets to get to work. He couldn't help but chuckling a little at her attempt to get him to side with her but she failed and he finally got some. He had won the argument, which meant he didn't have to put his friend out of a job.  
  
The mere thought of Fiona seemed to make the smile drop from his face. He was definitely happy to see her again but what would this mean. He was married to his wife yet his new assistant was his old love. He knew that it would be very odd for a while to have her so close to him but not at all like it had been between the two of them years ago.  
  
'I can do this; I know that I can. We are nothing but friends now as we both agreed on last night. I would definitely hate to lose that of all things. It was hard to lose her love but I don't think I can handle not having her friendship,' he told himself with a frown as he pulled into the parking lot and then into his personal parking space.  
  
Van got out of the car and looked towards the space that had been made specifically for Fiona which was pretty much right next to his. He couldn't help but laugh when he saw that it was already filled. 'I should have known. She always had to be early rather than late,' he thought with a smirk as he walked into the building.  
  
Despite it still being only about seven o'clock in the morning, the place was already filled with many employees ready to start the workday. Many of them waved to him and he waved back and said his hellos before he walked into the elevator.  
  
To reflect upon his past life was starting to drive him insane a little. He couldn't help but remember all of the times that him and Fiona had spent together, every touch, every kiss, all of those types of things. He was sure that he didn't love her, or at least a little sure. He didn't even want to think about those types of things anymore. He knew that he would have to face them if he was going to be working with Fiona at his side every second of the day as his personal assistant.  
  
The elevator came to a stop at his floor and he stepped out of it to see Fiona sitting there waiting for him because he had to show her around the place and give her all of the tasks that she was expected to accomplish throughout the day.  
  
"Hey there Fiona. Been waiting long?" asked Van putting an uneasy smile on his face when he saw her stand up placing the same kind of uneasy smile on as well. It was bound to be this way for a while but Van felt they would get past it.  
  
"About thirty minutes actually," said Fiona taking a quick look at the watch on her wrist. She then looked up at Van but this time the smile on her face was a little more at ease. "I think that you should probably show me around. There is still a while before we really need to get to work," she said still smiling.  
  
"You know, you don't have to get here terribly early. It will do you no good unless you have a lot of makeup work to get done," said Van chuckling because although he didn't state it, he almost said make out like the two of them used to do when they were still together. Sometimes before school they tended to come early at times and pretty much make out until school actually started. Perfect Fiona had a bit of a naughty side at those times.  
  
"Yeah, I guess. I just didn't know the exact time in which I had to get here so I decided to come early just to be a bit safe," said Fiona while taking a look around the place. She had been there for the past thirty minutes and she didn't really get a chance to look around the place.  
  
"Come on, there is a lot I have to show you in just a short amount of time," said Van as he turned around and started to walk away with Fiona following closely behind him. "From what you have seen when you first came in, what did you think of this place?" asked Van turning his head slightly to look at Fiona.  
  
"It is very nice and friendly here. It is really different from what I am used to working at but I have a feeling that that will make it a whole lot easier to get used to it all," she said with the smile that she knew he loved to see so many times in the past. It was strange but things were feeling so natural for her at that moment. She didn't feel the uneasiness that she was feeling the night before. In the past, his presence had always calmed her down a bit but how can it be both the cause and the solution to her problems at that moment.  
  
"That is very good to hear. We try to place rules that will keep the place well organized and keep them working yet at the same time not restrict them from their normal selves. I don't like to work on things if I can't be myself at the same time as well. As long as they get their work done on time and that it is of a great quality then we won't have to do anything. It wasn't something I set up but I like the idea anyways," said Van anyways with a smirk.  
  
"Let's see. I am sure that you already know what jobs you are going to do as my assistant since you worked this type of job at your previous work. I guess that means we just have to set things up and show you around the place before you get to work," said Van with a smile when they walked out of the elevator that they had been waiting in.  
  
"The job hours are from six thirty in the morning to about seven at night on weekdays and on weekends like today we come in at seven or as instructed otherwise to about five. We will usually have Sunday off. Sometimes we don't even have to come as long as we finish our work or stay home to work on it. I love this job," said Van with a smirk because he loved those types of days when he could be lazy.  
  
Fiona couldn't help but giggle a little when she heard him. He was almost exactly like he was when they were going out. She was glad that he didn't change too much because then he just wouldn't be himself. "It does sound very interesting. At my old job I was worked none stop doing almost ever bit of work that they needed done. I almost never got to get any rest but I can already tell that things will be much different. I might actually be able to get some rest every once in a while. The non-stop work combined with my obnoxious boss is the reason that I left in the first place," said Fiona knowing that she hated her old job more than anything and was hoping that her assumptions about this one would be right.  
  
"I had a few dealings with the company you used to work for. I am surprised I never saw you considering your job," said Van after thinking it over because he had gone there on several occasions for meeting and he had never seen Fiona when she was working directly under the head of the company.  
  
"He always kept me working during any meetings. I was also only there for about two to three months before I quit. I was unhappy then I saw a job opening here and it looked better than my other job so I quit and got the job here," she said on her memory of all that had happen.  
  
"We have a lot of different people doing different jobs around here so you won't have to do every task in the building. That would take jobs away from the hard working employees," said Van with a smile. "You need a number of supplies for the job that you are doing however. Let's see, you need a laptop of some kind, a cell phone in case we need to call you when your not home, and other office supplies," said Van while trying to think the list over.  
  
"I have a laptop and cell phone already but they aren't really the best out there. I got them years ago and I haven't had time to get any new ones," said Fiona while thinking of her beat up laptop and decent cell phone.  
  
"Not a problem. I am acquainted with many people from the different companies that make those and I can get you some new ones that are probably not out yet but they are state of the art and have everything that you could need in them. I'll give them a call later today and it should come in within two to three days," said Van while taking quick looks in the direction of Fiona while his head remained facing forward. She looked exactly the same only a little wiser looking than she did in high school. At the moment she looked like she was trying to think of something that she had forgotten.  
  
"Oh Van, by the way before I forget. I wanted to invite you and your wife over for dinner at some point. I am very interested in meeting her since she is married to you," said Fiona thoughtfully.  
  
"Unfortunately as much as I hate to tell you this. She was not happy at all that it was you that ended up being hired for this job," said Van deciding to leave out all of her attempts to get him to end up firing Fiona. she may be very good looking but she didn't exactly have any type of tactics for trying to get her way except for pity a lot of the time.  
  
"Oh really, that is a real shame. I was really hoping to meet her at some point. Ask her anyways at least because Ethan is also kind of looking forward to meeting you too. I will admit that he was also reluctant about this when I told him but thankfully most of the time he can at least be a bit more reasonable at least as far as I seem but he is very nice anyways. Can you at least try it and see what she says?" asked Fiona in a bit of a pleading voice.  
  
"I can try but don't get your hopes up. She can be very stubborn at times so it could take a while to convince her to do anything if she doesn't like it at all," admitted Van with a soft chuckle.  
  
"Sounds kind of like you at times. I remember a long time ago how stubborn you always used to be which I am sure that you still are most of the time anyways," Fiona said thinking about his sometimes huge ego that prevented him from doing certain things. If there was one thing that she could go without it would be that but also she would be ashamed if he was to lose it.  
  
"Yeah but sometimes that isn't exactly a good thing. I can still be stubborn but I have changed a little since the last time that I saw you. I like me the way I am so I don't like changing who I am all that much. What about you? Have you changed all that much?" asked Van but he hoped not because he liked her the way she used to be.  
  
"Just like you, I only changed very little over the years. Also like I said before I am going to be getting married soon so I guess that will probably be the ultimate change that will occur in my life. Even though it is a while away, I am kind of nervous about it even now. I guess it is kind of normal for many women to be nervous when they are getting married," said Fiona with a slight laugh.  
  
"Not my wife. I have never once seen her nervous about anything," said Van with a laugh. 'Unless you considered last night, I think she was nervous that I might end up leaving her for Fiona since we did use to go out together,' thought Van wondering why she would be so nervous. He wasn't going to just leave her like that because of his old girlfriend. She had a fiancé as it was. She was happy with him and Van was happy with Tiffany.  
  
"Maybe she can give me pointers. I really want this wedding to be perfect. Me being nervous will make it a little worse. I hope that at some point we can end up becoming friends so that there will be no ill intentions between the two of us. Do you think that that will ever happen Van?" she asked. In order to be able to work better with Van she felt that something like that would have to be done at some point.  
  
"I really have no idea. Sometimes she is kind of hard to predict. I guess that a dinner would be good for the two of them though. I will make sure that she goes to it then," said Van going against what he said earlier. "Come on. I guess we have talked a little too much and not done enough of this little tour. So lets get going so we can get to work," said Van with a smile as he led her down the hall and towards his first intended destination. 


	5. dinner

Irvine walked into Van's office late in the day just before he planned to go home. When he walked into the room he saw Van just sitting around and staring off into space. "What's up buddy?" he asked snapping Van out of his little daydream causing him to look at Irvine. "What are you still doing here? Aren't you planning to head home?" he asked walking towards the desk.

"Just thinking. I was going to be leaving soon anyways," said Van leaning back in his very comfortable chair. Fiona had only left a few moments before Irvine came in and he liked the quietness that the empty room had at the moment.

"About what? Does it have anything to do with Fiona?" asked Irvine and he became extremely interested when Van nodded his head. Irvine let out a small chuckle. "It is about time that you try going after her again," he said jumping to conclusions while Van jumped out of his chair.

"No, no, no, no," said Van waving his hands in front of his face. "I am doing no such thing. I am married remember," said Van holding up his wedding band to remind Irvine.

Irvine just rolled his eyes wishing that that one little fact were actually non-existent. "I say that you dump her and go for Fiona," he said with a smirk but he knew that Van wouldn't do something like that. He had morals that he followed, especially when it came to his marriage.

"I am not going to do that. It is just that Fiona invited me to a dinner that she was planning on having," said Van but he knew that that didn't sound right and he also knew that Irvine realized this as well. He felt like smacking himself for making it sound the way that it did.

Irvine smirked when he heard what Van had said. "Oh, I see. So it is her that is taking the initiative," he said but he also knew that that wasn't exactly what it was that Van was really talking about.

"It is nothing like that!" yelled Van getting very frustrated. "She invited both Tiffany and me over to dinner with her and her boyfriend," said Van. He was frustrated but he knew that Irvine was only trying to tease him a little. It was just something that he liked to do.

"Good luck getting your wife to go," he said with a smirk turning around and starting to walk towards the door. "If I know enough, she will try everything to refuse," he said stopping at the door.

Van sat back down within his chair and leaned his head back while spinning a pen in his fingers. "I don't know what you mean by that. I am sure that she will take it just fine."

* * *

"No!" said Tiffany stubbornly when Van had told her about what the dinner that Fiona had invited them to go to. She absolutely refused to go anywhere that Van's old girlfriend was. She hadn't even met her and she had a deep loathing for her all of a sudden.

"Oh come on. It is just a dinner and it will give the two of you some time to get to know each other. You don't really need to be upset about our past because that is all that it is now," said an exasperated Van. He had no idea why she would suddenly start to act like this. When he first met her she was really nice.

"I don't care," she replied making an emphasis on each of the words to try and make it clear to Van that she planned to never go anywhere near Fiona. "I am not going to be going to this dinner and that is final!" she basically yelled right into Van's face.

"Why the hell are you being so damn stubborn about all of this? It won't hurt you to be nice a little and just go to this thing once," said Van growing even more frustrated with each second that passed in the argument between him and his wife.

"There is no way that I am going to go to this and that is final!" she said standing up and getting right into Van's face. There is absolutely no way that you will be able to make me go either!"

* * *

She had absolutely no idea how it was that Van had actually managed to get her to go in the first place. She had been adamant about not going but now here she was driving into the long driveway that led to a rather nice looking house. It would almost be considered a mansion but it was smaller than most would be. Van and her could have had a mansion but Van liked a smaller cozier place to live in which was what they lived in now.

"Now please try to be kind to them. We are their guests here," he said knowing that sometimes her temper could sometimes get out of control and that when it happen she was prone to saying a lot of harsh thing to anyone nearby. All he received from his wife was a grunt showing that she had indeed heard what he had said. He just rolled his eyes before he pulled his car to a stop in front of the door.

The two of them got out of the car and walked towards the door. Van was about to knock on it but it was opened before his fist came in contact with it to reveal Fiona waiting for them in a very lovely white dress. It came up to her knees and had a V-cut neckline that showed only a modest amount of cleavage. Van had to admit that it was a dress that fit Fiona perfectly.

"You look very lovely Fiona," said Van with a smile only to be elbowed in the gut by his wife. He didn't see what was wrong with complementing an old friend such as Fiona. Then again, his wife was general a very jealous type of person.

"You look very nice too Van. This must be your wife. It is a pleasure to meet you," said Fiona sticking out a hand for a handshake but Tiffany only seemed to ignore it. When Fiona was sure that she wasn't going to shake her hand she pulled it back and stepped aside. "Come in you two. We have been waiting," said Fiona with a bright smile.

The three of them walked silently with Tiffany keeping a very close eye upon Fiona. 'Damnit, I really hate to admit it but this woman is actually good looking, but definitely not as good looking at me,' she thought arrogantly. 'I guess I have nothing to worry about because I am sure that Van wouldn't dare to leave me for this trash. I mean she wears white, don't you usually have to be pure to wear that. I am sure that she must not be a virgin, especially after all I had heard about her fiancé,' she thought glaring at Fiona.

"Don't you usually have to be pure to wear white?" Tiffany asked rather rudely to Fiona. This time it was her turn to be elbowed by Van. She looked at him while he glared at her.

"What do you mean by that?" Fiona asked stopping and turning around to look at Tiffany with the kind look on her face that was a normal feature of Fiona. she stared at Tiffany wondering why she would think that especially when she had never once in her life had sex.

"That was extremely rude Tiffany," growled out Van looking at her with annoyed eyes. "Fiona isn't the type to do something like that. She is very adamant about waiting until she gets married before she does anything like that," Van said finding it very rude that she could even ask that sort of thing.

Tiffany just turned her head to the side avoiding and eye contact with anyone. She knew she was rude that ask that but it just came out of her mouth all of a sudden because she happened to be thinking about it at the time.

Van had to admit to himself that when they used to go out there was many times that he could have taken that from Fiona. Despite not wanting it to happen, one of those many times and probably the closest they had come to it suddenly popped up into his head.

Flashback

A heavenly aroma could be smelt through the luxurious home that Van lived in with his father. Currently his father was away on a business trip and Van had the place all to himself. He had ended up inviting Fiona over to have dinner with him. Although they did have a cook to prepare meals, Van decided to attempt his hand at cooking and so far it didn't appear to be coming out too bad if the delicious aromas were any indication that what he was cooking would smell good.

Soothing music filled the air because he knew that Fiona liked that sort of music so he decided to give her a night filled with many things that she loved to have. Some of those things included the music, food, and many other things.

Fiona's hips swayed lightly to the music while Van watched her from near the stove. The food was taking way too long to cook in his opinion and he wished to be with Fiona. He made up his mind and removed the food from the hot burner and slowly snuck up behind Fiona and wrapped his arms around her waist.

Fiona jumped lightly in surprise when she felt it but slowly closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of being wrapped up within his arms. They had been going out for a few years and yet she could never get tired of the feeling of being within his arms.

They were currently in the middle of their senior year of high school and neither of them could be happier. They had both hoped to go to the same college but they would have to wait in order to see how that would happen.

As of late, their relationship had been taking a very serious turn. Fiona had been wondering what would happen, if they would end up actually doing something like that with each other. She had always been taught by her parents to wait for marriage before having sex but she didn't know how long she would have been able to hold out when she was going out with someone like Van. She loved him with all of her heart. He was the type of person who, if everything went right, she would love to spend the rest of her life with.

"Don't startle me like that Van," she said but not in a harsh tone. Her eyes were closed while she nestled into his arms, feeling the heat that his body was giving off. Needless to say, she was in pure heaven.

"Sorry about that. I just saw you and had to join you in your little dance," he whispered into her ear. He was lightly swaying to the music just as Fiona had been before and she followed his every movement so willingly. Fiona was his dream girl and he had every intention of keeping her for himself, and keeping himself only for her.

Fiona moaned lightly when she felt Van start to lightly kiss her neck. His arms tightened slightly around her waist but she didn't object in the least. The feelings that he was giving her were something that she wanted to feel. "Van," she moaned out slightly when she felt his hands suddenly found their way to the area of skin at the bottom of her pink shirt. His touch sent shivers through her body but she didn't say a word.

"Day after day it is getting harder and harder for me to not be with you my love," he whispered into her ear before lightly kissing the side of her neck again. He was enjoying the reactions that he was giving Fiona. His hands slowly started to rise up a little bit. He was a bit hesitant but he was not receiving any objection so they continued to go up until his hands hit the base of her breasts. He was feeling a little bold and lightly cupped her breasts earning another groan from Fiona.

Fiona didn't know what to think of what Van was doing to her. Her mind was telling her to stop because of all that she had been taught, but her heart and body were telling her to continue. She had to admit that the pleasure that she was feeling from Van's caresses were better than anything that she had ever felt in her life.

Van pulled his hands back out and turned Fiona around very quickly smashing his lips against hers. He felt her quickly respond and deepened the kiss. Her mouth opened up for him and his tongue dashed into her mouth where they battled with each other. Van hands rested on her hips and slowly came up taking her shirt along with it. Surprisingly enough Fiona just lifted her arms up allowing him and easier time to get it off.

Fiona was a very modest person and ended up trying to cover herself up but Van lightly pulled her arms away. "Don't, you look very beautiful," he said trying his best to make her feel right about this. This once was something he could only dream about, but he was wondering if it could possibly become reality.

The only thing that was stalling him from his main goal was her bra. He reached around while still sucking upon her neck. It unhooked itself and fell to the floor softly. Van stared at the beautiful mounds that were before his eyes while Fiona blushed a little but she enjoyed the stares that he was giving her.

Van came down and gave Fiona a peck on the lips before slowly kissing down, from her chin, to the nape of her neck, to just above her soft mounds. His lips finally came down upon one of the pebbly nipples causing a moan from Fiona. While his lips played with that one, one of his hands came up to rest upon the other. His hand sensually massaged it while his lips kissed all over the other one.

Fiona didn't know what took over her but she started to pull away at his shirt as well. When Van noticed this he pulled back causing Fiona to whimper at the loss of his lips. She quickly pulled it over his head. Fiona couldn't help but admire his well-chiseled chest the moment that the shirt came off.

Van smirked when he noticed Fiona stares before he went back to what he was doing before. He could feel Fiona's hands moving over his back and chest and enjoyed how gentle her touch was. He suddenly had an idea and smirked before releasing himself from Fiona's chest causing another whimper. "I have an idea," he said causing Fiona to look at him in confusion. Before she could react he scooped her up into his arms and headed in the direction of his room. "I am sure it will be more comfortable in there," he spoke with a genuine smile.

Fiona hated to do this but she felt like she had to. "Van... maybe we shouldn't do this," she said softly with a frown on her face while leaning her head into Van's shoulder. She felt him stop and she looked up. What she found strange was that he wasn't frowning but had a soft smile.

"If that is what you want than so be it. I will not try to force you into anything that you aren't ready for," he said before still walking. "Although, just because we won't be doing that doesn't mean we can't have fun," he said in reply to a look that Fiona was giving him when he continued to walk. He looked down and smiled when he saw her nod her head to at least this.

End Flashback

Van was suddenly broken from his thoughts when his wife elbowed him in the stomach. "What's up with you? You have been staring off into nowhere for a while now," Tiffany said staring very intently at him.

"It's nothing," said Van keeping his voice calm despite what he was thinking. 'I shouldn't think about any of that. That was long ago and I am married to someone else now,' he tried to tell himself pushing the thoughts that he had been having into the back of his mind.

"Welcome, it is so good to meet the two of you," said a rather friendly voice from behind everyone causing all to turn around to face a man that appeared to be in his mid to late twenties. He had light brown hair that was mid-length and fell freely and brown eyes. He appeared to be about as tall as Van.

"This is my fiancé Ethan," Fiona said walking up to him and giving him a quick kiss before walking past him into the room that he had only moments before come walking out of.

"Greetings to the two of you. I have been very anxious to meet you. You must by Flyheight, my Fiona's new boss," he said walking up to Van and holding out a hand for him to shake.

Van didn't exactly like how he spoke of Fiona like a possession by using my before her name. Fiona wasn't his yet and he was talking like he owned her. He knew Fiona and knew that she couldn't be owned by anyone unless it was her husband but this man was only her fiancé for now. He just decided to put it off for the moment and held out his hand as well. "Yes, my name is Van Flyheight and this is my wife Tiffany," said Van shaking the man's hand.

"Come, why don't we step into the dining room and get something to eat because I am sure that the both of you are starving," Ethan said letting go of Van's hand and walking into the door that Fiona disappeared behind.

Fiona was already in there and waiting for them with her normal smile on her face. "Please, take a seat," said Ethan motioning towards any of the empty seat that was all around the table. "The food should be ready soon so why don't we get to know each other," he suggested taking the seat that was right next to Fiona.

Van took a seat that was across from Fiona and Tiffany took a seat next to Van and across from Ethan on the circular table that adorned the room. The room itself was very beautiful. There were many paintings of people and landscapes all over the room and the carpet was a beautiful blue color.

"This place is very beautiful. You must have a lot of money to afford someplace like this," said Van looking through the room. His wife nodded as well from her seat next to him.

"I actually inherited a great deal of money from my parents when they died a few years back. For the heck of it I do a lot of trading with many people which has only increased my fortune and given me many of the things that you see all around the room," Ethan said while Van and Tiffany looked all over the room. "You also seem well off as well considering that you own one of the biggest businesses around," he said placing his head in his hand and raising an eyebrow.

"I really had to more of work for mine. You are lucky to have been able to get yours in such an easy way. I kind of envy you," Van said mimicking the man's posture while still looking through the room.

"Yes I guess that I am really lucky. I have a lot of money, a beautiful home, and the most beautiful woman that I had ever set eyes on," he said with a smile to Fiona that caused her to blush a lot. "She is very beautiful but can be stubborn at times," he said eyeing Fiona.

"Like how she won't sleep with you?" asked Tiffany causing Van to slap himself in the head. He swore that she didn't know when to shut her mouth when she really needed to.

Ethan just chuckled a little bit in amusement. "Yes, I guess you can say that. She won't even let me sleep in the same bed. It is not my place to talk about our private life however," he said telling them politely to just drop the subject.

Van found it kind of amusing that he never had that problem. They slept in the same bed before although they never had sex. Van had a guess that this guy wanted to but Fiona just kept denying him. She probably thought that since he wanted it so badly that having them sleep in the same bed would only cause problems. Van used to always be content with just being by her side and being able to hold her close.

"To think that in only a few weeks time that I will be her husband though. That sends a great surge of pride through me. She is a really great woman," he said with a proud smile directed right towards Fiona.

"You had better try not to force anything or that will never happen though. The two of us went out in high school and I have learned never to pressure her at anything," said Van causing Ethan to look at Fiona who blushed a bit. Van figured that Fiona might have forgotten to tell him that little part of their past. He felt like hitting himself for bringing it up. He just thought that she would have told him about that.

"Is that so? I think that I would know what she needs right now though," Ethan said finding that he didn't like the way that Van talked. He didn't know why but the thought that his fiancé and her boss used to go out at one times sent anger coursing through his being. "Maybe I should go and see what is keeping the food. Fiona, will you please come with me because I need to talk to you?" he asked standing up.

Fiona merely nodded standing up as well and walking after him towards the doors to the room. She came to a stop when she saw that her fiancé was standing right outside of the door.

"Why didn't you tell me that your old boyfriend is your new boss?" he asked with a low tone in his voice. Needless to say he did not like the thought of her and her old boyfriend working together. He had heard about him from Fiona before and the type of relationship that they had. He did not want to think that he could try to take her for himself again.

"I didn't think that you would really care. What we had is and will be in the past," said Fiona fidgeting a little bit under his intense glare. Ok, it wasn't really the truth. She knew that he would overreact to it a bit so she decided to keep it from him for a while but Van just had to open his mouth.

"What do you mean you didn't think I would care? You are my fiancée and he is your old boyfriend who you happened to have a very serious relationship with!" he basically yelled although not loud enough for those on the other side of the door to hear. "I don't want you to work there anymore," he said all of a sudden.

"Forget it! I am not going to just quit a nice and well paying job just because you told me to," said Fiona angry that he could just tell her to do something like that. "You can just forget about it," she said turning around and walking in their original direction. He had never acted like that to her before. So she wasn't too mad but she wasn't going to just roll over because he commanded her to.

Ethan just rubbed his head because a headache was really starting to form in it. He didn't mean to overreact so badly but he would be damned if he allowed them possibly a second chance to be with each other.


	6. painful past

Fiona let a sigh escape her mouth. She removed her hands from the keyboard that she had moments before been typing very quickly across. She brought her hands from to her head and lightly rubbed it while staring towards the computer screen in front of her.

Things had not gone as well as she had hoped for the dinner the previous night. Her fiancé was a bit agitated about something after the night was over and it was as if Van's wife hated her worse than she did at the beginning of the night. It was supposed to be something to create some peace about the things that happened in the past but they didn't go at all like she had originally planned.

'Why is it that at times I try and do something nice and it seems to backfire on me?' Fiona asked herself with another sigh while continuing to rub her head where a migraine was starting to form.

"Here Fiona, this might help with that," said Van tossing her some aspirin. He had seen how she had been acting and knew what was wrong with her. It had almost always been that way even back then. Both of them seemed to know when there was something wrong with the other. It was like they had this very deep link to each other and Van was surprised that it was still there even after all of these years.

"Thanks Van. I really need this," she said taking the aspirin in her hand and placing them in her mouth while taking a deep gulp of the water that she had at her desk at that moment. She could feel it working a little but the headache was still there.

"So what's up? You aren't one to get a headache from such a small amount of work," said Van taking a seat behind his desk and looking to where Fiona was sitting to the side of the room. The two of them shared an office so it would be easy for them to work together, rather than separate offices where one would have to go and look for another if they needed help from the other.

"It's nothing really. It is just that I wanted to have that dinner to try and make things all right with you wife and me but it seemed to have the opposite effect. By the end of the night it was almost as if it had an opposite effect and she just seemed to dislike me even more," Fiona said a little sadly.

"Don't worry about her too much. She doesn't really have a liking for any of my friends; just ask Irvine and Moonbay. I think she just feels a little threatened that if it came to a situation like that I would side with my friends rather than her because we go back farther than I do with her," said Van standing up and walking towards Fiona desk and sitting against the edge of it a little while facing Fiona. "What I am trying to say is for you to just forget about it all. I have been married to her for a while and yet I still have no idea how it is that she thinks," said Van making Fiona giggle a little. It made Van feel a lot better to hear that come out of her mouth.

"Thank you Van. I really needed to hear stuff like that," Fiona said with a smile before turning right back to her work and she immediately got started typing away at the computer once again with a lot more vigor than before. "By the way Van. There is something I want to ask you about your wife that I have been wondering for a while now. How is it that the two of you met?" she asked taking her eyes away from the screen again to look at Van.

"How indeed?" Van asked bringing his hand up to his chin rubbing it in a mock way of making it look like he was thinking. He was really just doing that to be a little funny. "How about this, I will tell you that if you tell me why?" Van asked looking towards Fiona because she knew exactly what it was that he was talking about.

"Sorry that I asked then," Fiona said sadly turning back to the screen not really feeling like thinking about it at the moment. "I just don't feel like getting into that right now," she spoke sullenly while typing very slowly at the computer.

Van was really hoping for an answer to the question that he has had for a while now. "Fine then. I won't force you to tell me if you don't want to but I do hope that someday you will be able to," Van said quietly walking back to his desk.

Fiona looked towards Van sadly. Something deep within her demanded that she admit the truth to Van but she mind wouldn't allow her to. A repeat of their past was something that she really didn't need right now. 'The past is the past. That is how it will remain now,' she thought sadly looking towards Van.

The past was part of her many problems right now. It was so full of problems that she wished to put it behind her hand focus only on the present and the future. 'Maybe speaking of it would help to ease some of the problems though,' Fiona thought to herself. "Um... Van," she said looking towards him to see that he had looked up from his work to look at her. "I have a bit of a confession to make," she said very quietly but she was sure that Van had heard her.

When she said that, Van was immediately interested in what it was that Fiona had to say. He slowly stood up and walked back towards Fiona. "Sure, if you want to talk about it then go right ahead," he said in a soft tone that he used to use when he was sure that Fiona was a bit uneasy.

"I was there Van. I was there at your wedding a year ago," she said quietly and heard a slight gasp from Van. "Back then despite what I had done years before, I still harbored great feelings for you. I went to go talk to you," she said turning her head away. When she felt Van place a comforting hand on her shoulder she released a breath that she didn't know she had been holding.

"What happened Fiona? Why is it that I didn't see you there when you came to talk with me?" he asked staring at the back of her head as it trembled a little trying so hard to suppress a memory but failing.

"I went and I saw you. I saw how happy it was that you looked. There was a smile on your face that at one time you would only give to me. I felt kind of jealous, a little hurt, and I ended up just running away from there. I told you that I met Ethan two years ago but I really didn't start to get involved with him until after your wedding," she admitted in a sullen voice that sounded so tired at that moment.

Van had no idea that any of that even happened. He would have thought that someone would have seen her there but no one did. It was like she was unseen to any of them including him, Irvine, and Moonbay who happened to be her best friends. "I am sorry that you felt that way Fiona. I will admit though that I was happy back then, much more than I am now. Tiffany was different when I met her compared to how she acts now. When I first met her she had a very caring personality, much like yours. After we got married, it was almost as if she had changed a little and ended becoming who it was that she is today," he said finding it as if a burden had been lifted off of him.

'I wonder what happened?' Fiona asked herself but she didn't go too deep into thought about it. "I am sorry that I brought all of this up Van. I guess that it really isn't a conversation that we should be having. I was just being a little stupid," she said with a small chuckle as if all that she had admitted to Van on a few seconds prior was nothing more than a bit of meaningless information.

Van sighed and kneeled down in front of her. She continued to face away from him so he couldn't see what she was thinking because her eyes almost always told the truth for what it was. He lightly gripped her chin and turned it so that it would face him and he could look into her eyes. "You are not stupid Fiona. You need to talk about some of these things to someone at least. To hold so many secrets in just makes life difficult. If you need to talk about anything else, then just come to me and I will be all ears for you," he said with a smiled that sent a tingling feeling through Fiona's heart.

"Thanks," she mumbled with a slight sigh. "Well, it is getting a bit late so I had better start heading home so that Ethan won't worry about me," Fiona said looking out the window towards the setting sun. "By the way, what time is it?" Fiona asked since she forgot her watch because she was in a hurry earlier in the day.

Van looked at his watch and his eyes widened a lot. "Crap! It is nearly eight. We should have gotten out nearly an hour ago," he said with a small chuckle. "Looks like we were farther behind in our work than we thought," Van said scratching the back of his head.

"Oh no! I have to go!" Fiona said getting up very quickly and after grabbing her stuff she made a mad dash for the door. She knew she would have to do a lot of explaining to tell Ethan why it was that she was home an hour late without even calling him about it first.

Van just watched her leave with a slight shaking of his head. "I wonder where the time went," he said to himself. He wasn't too worried about his wife being worried because she told him that she would have been working late that night. Plus, even if she was home and he was on time, she would probably yell at him anyways. She had been doing quite a bit of that lately. Van knew why it was also; she was insecure about him working with an old flame. She was constantly reminding him in all the yelling that she was his wife. He actually chuckled a little at the thought of it.

Fiona pretty much burst straight through the doors to the home that she shared with Ethan. She went as fast as she could without breaking any laws but she was still and hour and thirty minutes late coming home.

"Where's the fire?" asked Ethan sitting down in a chair with a book in his hands. There was a pair of reading glasses on his nose. He was watching Fiona intently as she tried her best to catch her breath.

"I'm... so sorry that I am late. We were swamped at work and I didn't realize the time," said Fiona bent over with her hands on her knees breathing heavily. She hated their long driveway because she ended up running down most of it just to get to the house.

Ethan chuckled slightly while standing up. He placed his book down on a table that was near him and calmly crossed the floor to Fiona. "Don't worry about it. You had a lot of work, but try not to make a habit out of working late and not telling me. It makes me worry," he said placing his hands on Fiona's shoulders and rubbing them slightly. "You are very tense," he whispered into her ears making her shiver slightly. "Why don't we head up to my room and I will show you something very relaxing," he said giving Fiona a light push in the direction of the stairs.

Fiona suddenly stopped because she knew exactly what it was that he had in mind. She turned to face him with slight annoyance on her face. "You know that I am not going to do something like that," she said with a yawn.

"Oh come on Fiona. We are going to be getting married in a few months, what is just doing it a little sooner going to hurt?" he asked getting slightly annoyed with how stubborn she was about wanting to wait for marriage before she had sex.

"It will mean a lot to me if we did. Just because you continue to pester me about it doesn't mean that I am just going to jump into bed with you. Can't you just respect my wishes and just drop the subject?" Fiona asked with another yawn. She was very tired and wished for nothing more than to be able to get to bed without getting into some sort of argument. "I am tired and heading for bed. Good night," she said before running up the stairs before he could utter another word.

Fiona was getting a bit tired of his games. It was almost every day that he was trying to have sex. He knew she wanted to wait but he continued to press the subject. When her and Van had gone out, they may not have had sex but came close and Van didn't even have to pressure her to go for it. He always respected her wishes. Ethan was an entirely different story. It was like he craved sex more than anything. He was a kind person to her though, so she always put it aside as long as he didn't try to force her to have sex with him.

Fiona stopped at the very top of the stairs when she suddenly remembered something. She figured she would give him a bit of a warning before. "Oh, by the way, tomorrow after work I am going out with Moonbay for a bite to eat. So don't wait up for me," she said. She looked down at Ethan but she didn't know if he had heard her or not. Fiona just shrugged before walking towards and through her bedroom door and closing it silently.

'Damn it! Why it is so important for her to want to wait to get married before having sex. It is really getting annoying!' he said becoming very frustrated at Fiona. 'Why does she want to wait anyways? I don't see the difference with waiting to have sex and just having it. What's the big deal! Maybe it was that Van Flyheight. No, I am sure that she isn't the type of person to cheat,' he thought becoming more frustrated. 'I juts really don't know though. They did use to have a serious relationship but what is it that they have now?' he asked himself before doing as Fiona did and headed to his room for sleep.

When Fiona walked into her room she immediately went over and fell onto her bed. 'I told Van the truth today. Why?' she asked herself because she was unsure as to why it was that she even brought up the subject of his wedding anyways. she always hated to think about that day.

Fiona then thought back to what it was that Van asked her earlier than that. He had wanted to know why. She for some reason just didn't have the heart to tell him the truth or anything for that matter. She didn't even want to think about then as well. Almost every memory she had for a long time had been a lonely and painful one to think about.

"Why am I thinking about all of this now?" she asked herself. 'Because you know that the things of the past can't be buried so easily," a voice in the back of her mind said causing Fiona to shake her head in order to get rid of it.

"The things of the past will remain just that. I can't keep dwelling in them," Fiona told herself getting off of her bed and heading into the restroom. She felt like she could use a nice warm bath in order to be able to clear her head of all the thoughts that she had been having.

Van walked into his spacious, empty house about an hour after him and Fiona had left work. As he had been told earlier, his wife had to work late that night so he had the place all to himself. He was actually very thankful for that because he didn't feel like putting up with Tiffany nagging about Fiona for tonight.

Even though Tiffany had been acting that way about Fiona, she had started to become more of the wife that he wanted from the beginning. It was kind of strange for Van. Ever since he had gotten married to Tiffany, he had wanted that but now that he had it, he wasn't sure that it was what he wanted anymore.

His life had become a complete mess within the past few days. Ever since Fiona came back into his life, he had started to gain his wife again but also at the same time she was becoming even worse than she was before. She has become very possessive over him. She had almost forbid him to hang out with his own friends.

The fact that Fiona was back in his life didn't really make it any easier either. He didn't know if he could actually say that he felt the same way that he did back then, but his mind seemed to be on her a lot recently.

'Kind of hard to deny something that you know was right back then and could still be even now,' his mind seemed to taunt him making Van become a bit annoyed. 'You love her so greatly back then and yet you made an extremely stupid mistake and lost the love of your life, your soul mate,' it continued to taunt.

'Shut up! I am married to Tiffany so u can't allow myself to get caught up in things that I had worked so hard to put behind me,' Van mentally yelled at his brain although a part of him knew that it was right.

'Did you really put it behind you?' it asked so simply that it kind of scared Van. His mind knew that it was right and Van knew that too. It didn't really mean that he had to accept the truth as well.

"I really need to stop thinking about all of this. I think I am going crazy over it because I am talking to myself. So I really just need to stop thinking about it period," he told himself. Before relaxing deep into his sofa. His mind seemed to just stop talking to him after that and Van was very thankful to it.


	7. cry of the heart

Fiona woke up earlier than she usually did the next morning. The sun was just barely peaking over the horizon sending very little light through her curtains that she had drawn as soon as she stood up from her bed.

So many thoughts seemed to be flying through her mind at that moment she needed to find some sort of release for it and she knew just the person that she needed to talk to in order to get them off her mind, Moonbay. Moonbay had always been a friend and a sister to her. Back then she was one of the only two people that Fiona had no trouble telling any secrets to, besides Van.

Fiona slowly walked towards her phone and dialed in the number hoping that Moonbay wouldn't be too mad about her calling this early in the morning. It rang two or three times before the other end was picked up by a groggy sounding Moonbay meaning that she must have just of gotten up. "Hello?" asked Moonbay a little grouchily.

"Hey Moonbay, it is me Fiona," said Fiona quietly but loud enough for Fiona to be able to hear her. She could hear Moonbay straightening up on the other end of the line and knew that she held her attention.

"What is it Fiona that you would wake me up at this godforsaken hour in the morning?" Moonbay asked in an annoyed tone but also in a kind of joking way. That basically meant that Fiona had her complete attention for the moment.

"Umm... Moonbay? I know that we agreed to meet later today after work but do you think that maybe we can meet up for breakfast so that we can talk?" Fiona asked kind of timidly. She knew that Moonbay was the best person to ask for advice with the situation that she was having.

"Sure, I guess that we can. Why did you ask that, is something the matter?" Moonbay asked in her older sister tone since she thought of Fiona as her sister and was worried when Fiona sounded so sad about something.

"No... not really. Lets just meet up at the café that is near my work. Will that do?" Fiona asked and she smiled when she received a yes from Moonbay. "Great! How about we meet there as soon as you can?" Fiona asked with a smile on her face.

"Sure, thing. Just let me get showered and dressed and I will meet you there before you have to go to work. See you then," Moonbay said before the receiver went dead since Moonbay had hung up the phone.

* * *

Fiona sat silently at one of the tables of a small yet nice café that was only a block away from her workplace. A cup of coffee was placed in front of her. One hand was stirring it absentmindedly while she just stared down into it as if it was one of the most interesting things in the world.

"Fiona!" came Moonbay's voice snapping Fiona out of her little trance. She looked up and saw Moonbay running towards her waving and she did the exact same thing back to her until Moonbay came to a stop in front of her. Moonbay took a seat across from Fiona and ordered a coffee before she decided to start a conversation. "So... what is it that you wanted to talk about?" Moonbay asked with a pleasant smile on her face so as to make it easier for Fiona to talk.

Fiona took a deep breath before starting. "Moonbay, can I ask you a question?" Fiona asked looking up into Moonbay's face. When she saw a nod from Moonbay she continued. "What is sex like?" she asked out of the blue shocking the hell out of Moonbay.

Moonbay had no idea why that had suddenly come out of Fiona's mouth. She figured that she would give Fiona an answer since she seemed so interested in hearing it. "In a way it really depends on who it is that you are with. It would be more special and probably a lot more pleasurable if it was with someone you loved like you had been trying so hard to do for so long. For me, it is just simply amazing between Irvine and me," Moonbay explained slightly still confused as to why Fiona had asked that. "Why is it that you asked me this?" she asked curiously.

Fiona looked down and just stared at her coffee once again. "It is because of my fiancé Ethan. He is so intent on having sex with me and I am getting tired of it. I was just thinking of doing it and just getting it over with," Fiona admitted a bit half-heartedly meaning that it was something that she really didn't want to do.

"No Fiona!" Moonbay said suddenly and in a harsh way. "Never, and I repeat, never, go that low Fiona. It is your decision of who you want to give your first time to. Never allow anyone to try and force you to do otherwise!" Moonbay yelled slamming her fist down on the table and looked at her helpless friend.

Fiona thought it over for a few moments before she spoke. "You're right Moonbay. I am sorry for brining this up. I am just so tired of his persistence about having sex and I want it to end," Fiona admitted a little more enthusiastically than she had when she had spoken before.

"Fiona... do you know why it was that Van and yourself had such a strong relationship when the two of you were still going out?" Moonbay asked looking at Fiona who had a blank look on her face. "It was because the two of you were in love. Van knew what it was that you wanted and he respected that by never pushing the subject about sex. He always took things at your pace and enjoyed every moment that the two of you had together. That was why he was so heartbroken when the two of you broke up," she admitted to Fiona but she didn't know that it kind of hurt Fiona a lot to hear that.

'I hurt him,' Fiona repeated in her head sadly. 'I hurt myself back then as well by giving up on him so easily. Maybe I didn't love him as much as I thought that I did or maybe I loved him too much to want to tie him down on such a long distance relationship,' Fiona thought looking down at her coffee.

"Never bow to the force of others. Just remember that Fiona. Play by your heart and make sure that he finally knows and respects your wish to want to wait until the two of you get married. If he can't do that then I don't see why you are even together," Moonbay said standing up and placing money on the table. "Listen, I am sorry that I have to cut this short but I really have to go somewhere. We will continue to talk later when we were originally supposed to meet up. Just remember what I said though," Moonbay said giving Fiona a smile before walking away.

* * *

The day seemed to really start to go Fiona's way after her little talk with Moonbay. Fiona knew she was right and was starting to feel bad about actually nearly giving into the pressures that Ethan had been putting on her to have sex. Moonbay was right, it was her choice and she would not be forced.

Van looked up and saw how fast Fiona was working that day compared to how down she seemed the previous day. He was glad to see that she was back to her normal busy self. "You sure seem to be in a much better mood today than you were yesterday," Van said making Fiona stop and look up at him with a smile on her face. It was a smile that he hadn't seen in so long and it made him smile right back.

"I just found some answers to some of the problems that I am having with my life. Everything will be just fine now," she said giving another bright smile before looking down at her work again and started to get it done at a rather fast pace.

Van admired how it was that she worked so diligently after how she was acting the day before. He heard his stomach growl lightly and looked down at his watch only to see that it was time for his lunch break. "I am going to take my break Fiona. Why don't you come along?" Van asked making her turn towards him with an inquisitive look but it turned to a smile and she nodded her head. "Great! I know of a place with good food that we can go to," Van said standing up from his seat and starting to walk to the door.

Fiona had no need to feel worried about this. It was just a friendly thing that Van was doing for her. It didn't mean that anything was going on so she wouldn't feel guilty about cheating on Ethan. That was far from the case. Her and Van were friends now and it would remain that way.

'Can you keep it that way,' a voice in the back of Fiona's mind asked but Fiona didn't feel like listening to it because she felt that she could resist any urges for Van since they were a thing of the past. She was getting married and needed to look forward to that. She knew that Moonbay was right about Ethan though, Fiona knew she wouldn't actually get married to him until he started to respect her wishes and stopped forcing the issue of sex.

Fiona got up from her seat and grabbed her purse before she walked out of the door with Van closing it and locking it after her. The two walked together towards the elevator ready for a much needed meal.

* * *

Van and Fiona sat at a small little table inside of a restaurant a few blocks away from where they worked. It was kind of small but had an elegant feel to it that made the former lovers feel welcome within its walls.

"I never knew that this place existed. I have lived here for a while now and I have only now knew that it was here," Fiona admitted looking throughout the restaurant at the other occupants. She felt kind of odd because all the other people seemed to be with their present spouses or lovers and yet she was just here with her old boyfriend and present boss. "I will have to remember this place so that I can come back at some point," Fiona said turning to Van with a bright smile on her face.

"Yeah, I tend to come here a lot whenever I want to be alone. Most of those times are when I get into a fight with my wife and get kicked out of the house," Van said causing a chuckle to come from Fiona's mouth.

"Oh come on, I don't think it can be all that bad," Fiona said controlling her chuckling long enough to look into Van's face seeing the funny skeptical look that he had on only made her start to laugh once again.

"It is not funny Fiona. Sometimes when it happens I end up getting kicked out of my house for a few days. I am lucky that I have numerous places to stay, some of them even more pleasant to be in than my own house. I don't live in any of them because Tiffany is far too stubborn. She would rather live in a mansion than our present home," Van said but even he couldn't help some of the chuckling that threatened to come out of his throat.

"You really must be rich if you have multiple places to stay at. I don't get it though, if you do have all of that money, why don't you live in a mansion?" Fiona asked placing her chin upon the back of her hand while it was propped up on top of the table.

"Just isn't my style. Besides, what is the point of a having a large mansion if there are only two people to share it? Tiffany has made it clear multiple times that she did not wish to have any children," he responded leaning back in his chair with his head on the back of the chair facing up towards the ceiling. "What about you though, you appear to live in a very nice mansion with that fiancé of yours," he said turning the tables on Fiona with all of the questioning.

Fiona gave a small smile at Van. "Like you, he also has a lot of money and at times tends to like showing it off a bit. That is why he bought that large mansion for the two of us. In a way, I share your way of thinking in that it may just be a little bit too big for just two people," Fiona admitted.

Van just sat there and smiled watching as Fiona took a sip from her drink while staring out into the crowded streets. When he realized what it was he was doing he mentally smacked himself and turned his head away looking for anything that would seem a little more interesting. Unfortunately for Van, he couldn't find anything and his eyes kept darting back to her. "We had better head back," Van said suddenly figuring it was the best thing for his wondering eyes.

"Good idea," Fiona said just continuing to stare out into the crowded streets while finishing up the last of her food and drink before she stood up and followed after Van towards his car since they had decided to just take it instead of using both of theirs.

The two of them walked in silence towards his car and it remained that way until the two of them returned to the building that they worked in. Walking out of the basement-parking garage towards the elevator.

When they reached the elevator, the both of them reached out at the same time to push the elevator button and their hands came in contact with one another. It was almost as if something had snapped all of a sudden because the two of them seemed to suddenly fly towards each other capturing the others lips in a soul-searing kiss. Their tongues dancing around each other's mouth before suddenly they seemed to realize what they were doing and broke apart with a fearful look on their faces.

"I-I'm sorry," Van said backing away a little before walking towards the stairs deciding to take the long way up just as the elevator came to a stop on their floor with only Fiona getting on.

She had no idea what had actually just happened then. The two of them seemed to be getting along just fine up till now despite their past. Then all of a sudden things come crashing down around them all because of a simple spur of the moment kiss.

No, she was wrong. Ever since they saw each other that night there was always uneasiness around the two of them. Past memories that they both tried to hide but were unable to. The tension of their past continued to build up and she guessed that was why that happened when it did and was suddenly released when their hands touched like that.

'Ethan,' she thought sadly feeling bad for kissing Van when she was supposed to be getting married to him. 'Why do things need to be so complicated in my life," Fiona thought trying her best to hold in the tears that were threatening to surface at any moment.

* * *

Van slowly walked up the stairs trying to gather his thoughts. He knew that it would be a long climb to the top but he also knew that the time he would use to do that would give him plenty of time to think.

Van suddenly stopped and slammed his fist against the wall leaving a slight dent in its wake. What had just happened is what his wife as well as himself was most afraid of. Being around Fiona was truly too much of a trouble for his present life. Yet she was his friend and having her around helped him in times of need. Yet now, he didn't know if he could keep her around if it would only cause more problems such as what had just happened.

'Tiffany,' thought Van sad. It was true that at time she could be a real bitch but she didn't really deserve what he had just done. He gave vows when they married and he had pretty much broken all of them in a mere moment of weakness. He didn't know how he was going to face her or any of his friends after what he had done.

Van didn't know how long it was that he had been walking but when he looked up, he was on the floor of his office. He knew that Fiona was already behind those doors but he knew that he would have to face her sooner or later.

Van walked through the door and headed straight for his office and sure enough, Fiona was there. Her eyes held sadness in them and Van really couldn't blame her for it. She was going through the exact same thing as he was.

It appeared that she had not noticed that he had even entered the room as of yet. She appeared to be so lost in thought so he just decided to speak what he needed to say and get it over with. "I'm sorry Fiona," he said making her head snap up as if she had just noticed that he was there.

Fiona looked down with the same despaired eyes that she had had only moment before. "Don't be Van. It wasn't only your fault but mine as well," she spoke in such a soft tone that it was kind of hard to hear but he had heard it somehow.

"You and I both know that this can't happen. I am married; you are engaged. This is wrong in so many ways. I guess we were only fooling ourselves into thinking that we could just get over the past like that," Van spoke sadly looking anywhere but into Fiona's direction.

"So I guess that really means I am fired," Fiona said sadly, sure it was hard being around Van but she really enjoyed her job and didn't want to end it because of a mistake that shouldn't have ever of happened. She would admit that there was still a part of her heart that longed for Van but she knew she had to let it go in order to make a happy future.

"No Fiona," said Van causing Fiona to look up at him in shock. He let out a sigh before he continued to talk. "I don't think it would be fair for you to lose your job over this but I think it would be wise to just keep a relationship on a business level and nothing else," he suggested and she agreed with him.

It hurt to know that she could very well be losing the best friend that she had ever had. She knew that it was all for the best. Being friends was hurting their relationships with other like his wife and her fiancé. It needed to be put to an end if they ever wished to be able to move on with their lives.

"We had better get back to work," Van said moving behind his desk before he got back to work. They both had the same wish to just drop the subject. Fiona just nodded her head and walked to her desk and sat down to get back to work as well.

* * *

Their talk since then has proved one thing to Van that he had no doubt would have happened. The two of them have changed a lot over the years. While they still basically acted a lot like back then, there were many small changes to them that didn't even affect who it was that they were. It was the fact that they were still the same that hurt the both of them most when they were around each other.

Van never did like change, so he tried his best over the years to remain the way that he used to be. Perhaps that was the cause of their little kiss earlier in the day. Part of his mind was still in the past. He had a lot of trouble being able to accept some changes when they came to him.

There was only one exception to his personality at the moment; he was a bit more mature. He had to be in order to be able to run the very large, very successful company of his. Yet, when he wasn't working, he did his best to remain how he used to be.

They had been working for a while now, they were a little behind but they worked hard and finished it all but they once again had to stay a little late in order to be able to get it done. Fiona was in a complete hurry because she was late for her meeting with Moonbay, the two of them had this planned for a while and now Fiona was running late.

"I am perfectly sure that Moonbay will understand if you are a few minutes late. Irvine does it all the time and she doesn't really seem to get too mad him because she knows that he has an important job to get done just like you do," Van explained watching as Fiona ran around the room picking up all that she needed to have before she left.

"Just because you never had a problem with it doesn't mean that I will try to be late," Fiona said a little harshly grabbing the last of her things and running out of the door and towards the elevator.

"You try to hard to have things perfect," Van muttered to himself grabbing his stuff and tried to walk out of the room. Before he managed to get out he looked over toward the window behind his desk. He walked over it and stared out of it. He used to love just staring out of it while thinking of the past. 'This had to end now,' he thought closing the blinds blocking off all view of the outside.

Fiona had already gone down the elevator by the time that Van had walked out of the office. He was actually very grateful that she did so as to not experience anything like what had happened earlier with her.

He walked towards the elevator and pressed the button waiting for the elevator to return to his floor. After a minute or two of waiting, it finally reached it and Van got in and it went down so he could go home.

* * *

"I am so sorry that I am late Moonbay," Fiona said a little half-heartedly which didn't go unnoticed by Moonbay much to Fiona's displeasure. She didn't feel like going into what had happened between her and Van earlier in the day and she knew that Moonbay would be persistent to learn about what had happened.

"You don't look too good Fiona. Is everything alright?" Moonbay asked staring at her friend who just put on a fake smile as if to try and tell that everything was fine. Moonbay didn't buy that one bit. "Don't give me that Fiona. I know something is wrong and I won't leave until you tell me. Maybe I can help you," Moonbay said in an older sister type of voice. She felt like she could take whatever it was that Fiona had to throw at her.

Fiona just sat down with a sigh because she knew that Moonbay was going to act this way. She figured that she might as well spill it. Moonbay was bound to hear it some way anyways. Taking in a deep breath, she spoke. "Van... Van and I kissed," she said looking down towards the ground.

Moonbay gasped. She had honestly not been suspecting to hear that from Fiona. That didn't mean that she wasn't happy to hear this. She truly was. It meant that the two still had feelings for each other and there was a chance for them to dump the others and get back together. Moonbay wasn't sure why she looked so sad though. "Is it that big of a deal?" she asked placing a hand on Fiona's shoulder.

"Yes it is Moonbay!" Fiona said loudly looking up at Moonbay with near teary eyes. "It shouldn't have happened. He is married and I am engaged. This has pretty much ruined what little of our friendship that we had left over the years," spoke a disheartened Fiona while she did her best to hold in her tears.

'She seemed more concerned about Van and hers friendship rather than her relationship with her fiancé. Is she having doubts?' Moonbay asked herself not being able to help the bit of hope that started to come from her heart. To hear that it had ruined there friendship though sent pain to her heart. To them, it was the most important thing in the world to be friends with each other and now because of a kiss they had to end it. "Do you really need to end it just because you kissed?" she asked quietly.

"It has become to hard to just ignore our past with each other Moonbay! Who knows what we would do if it was to continue," Fiona said finally allowing a tear to fall from her face. It hurt her most because she had once had dreams of being married to Van. Now they couldn't be friends, all because she was forcibly taken from him.

Seeing her best friend, her sister in such a distraught state really hurt Moonbay. "Maybe it won't be forever Fiona. You two just need to find some way to be friends without worrying about the past. Just give it a little time and see where things can go," she spoke softly while rubbing Fiona back while Fiona's face was in her hands.

Fiona seemed to calm down a little bit after that since what Moonbay said gave her a little peace of mind. Her tears stopped and for the rest of the night they just talked liked they used to with no worries about the present.

* * *

Fiona walked through the doors to her home at around eleven that night with a smile on her face. Her talk with Moonbay had lightened her spirits a little but now all she felt like doing was getting a little sleep. Fate never seemed to be on her side most of the time though.

The lights suddenly flickered on nearly blinding Fiona at the intensity of their brightness. "Where the hell have you been!" a voice boomed across the room but Fiona knew that it was Ethan and that he did not sound all that pleased tight then.

Fiona turned towards the source of the voice and gave off a small smile. "Is something the matter sweetheart?" she asked him with a smile but it kind of scared her the way that he was looking her with the angry yet lustful eyes of his. She knew that she told him about her thing with Moonbay so she didn't know why he was angry.

"Where the hell have you been? You should have been home hours ago!" he yelled at her. It was completely unlike how he acted the night before when she was late. He was kind about it then so she didn't know why he was so angry.

"I told you last night that I was going to be getting dinner with Moonbay," Fiona said trying her best to defend herself. His attitude was completely uncalled for in Fiona's opinion.

"No you weren't!" he yelled nearly into her face. "When I saw that you didn't come home I called around including to her and she didn't know where you were either!" he said pointing his finger at her.

"I was running a little late because of work. I do have a life you know! By the way, how is it that you know Moonbay's number? I don't remember ever telling it to you," Fiona asked a little confused but gasped when he held up a small book in his hands. "Where the hell did you get that? You have no right to go through my things!" Fiona yelled seeing him hold up her address book.

He looked down on her with anger flashing through his eyes. "I am your future husband so I believe that I have every right to look through it," he responded with a bit of malice in his voice. "I don't think that you were late because of work at all. I think it is that you were with Van," he accused glaring at Fiona.

"What?" Fiona asked completely astonished by his accusation. She had no idea where he got the idea. Ok so they kissed but that was it, nothing but a small accident. "I admit that he was with me but it was to get work that needed to be done, done," Fiona said finding his accusation incredulous.

"Somehow I don't believe that at all. I saw the two of you together at that restaurant earlier today. If you are as you say then why with you with him then?" he asked standing in front of Fiona waiting for a reply.

"We were having lunch. We both needed to get something to eat so we just decided to go and grab something together to make it simpler to do," Fiona said trying to figure out why he would think such things.

"I don't believe you!" he yelled causing Fiona to jump back out of freight. He had never acted this badly before even during some of their fights that they had before. "You are sleeping with him aren't you? That is the only explanation that I can think of," he accused her.

"How dare you! You can't just go around accusing me of something like that. I have told you this so many times before and I will continue to tell you it until you get it through your thick skull. I am going to wait until I get married to have that sort of relationship!" Fiona yelled finally losing the last bit of patience that she had with him at the moment.

"Fine then prove it to me," he said grabbing her arm. "It will just be the two of us. I want you to show me that you didn't sleep with him," he said implying that she had to have sex with him in order to prove that she was still a virgin and didn't sleep with Van. She just pulled her arm out of his grip and slapped him hard in the face for trying to force her to do something like that.

A thought of what Moonbay said suddenly came to mind. 'Make sure that he finally knows and respects your wish to want to wait until the two of you get married. If he can't do that then I don't see why you are even together,' the voice echoed into her mind sounding very appealing right now.

Fiona didn't know what happened next because it came so fast. He backhanded her hard in the face sending her to the ground out of his sheer strength. Fiona held her cheek. She just couldn't believe that that happened. 'He actually hit me,' she thought with wide eyes. She suddenly felt herself being lifted off the ground by her arm and also being dragged. "Let go of me!" cried a very scared Fiona because she knew what he was trying to do.

"No!" he yelled turning around to face her with furious eyes. "Tonight it will be just you and I Fiona... ouch!" he yelled when he felt Fiona bite down hard on his arm to that he would let go of her. It worked only she was hit even harder than the first time sending her flying into a wall. "You bitch!" he yelled walking up to her and actually punched her in the face causing blood to come out of the hit area.

Fiona curled herself up into a ball on the floor and sobbed after that but to make it even worse he kicked her while she was down in the stomach knocking the air out of her while he held the bit arm while it oozed out blood. "Never do that to me again!" he yelled.

Fiona had no idea what to do. She was scared for her life and wishing that she had never gotten involved with Ethan in the first place. She should have just left when he continued to pressure her about sex when she kept telling him no. She was regretting her decision not to leave now.

Ethan was close to her now. She wanted to get away and did the first thing that she could think of; she kicked him in his balls. When she saw him hunched over in pain, she grabbed something nearby and chucked it at him. He held his head and his balls in pain and Fiona knew that was her que to leave. She quickly got up and ran out of the house before he could recover from her attack.

Ethan looked up unable to move at all because of what Fiona had done to him. One eye was closed because he had been hit by it and it hurt to keep it open. With his one good eye he could just make out something small on the floor, a beautiful gold engagement ring.

Fiona quickly ran to her car and tried to turn it on but unfortunately it wouldn't start. 'Just great! What a time for it to break down,' she thought trying to get it to start with her shaking hands.

After a few tries she gave up knowing that she didn't have much more time before he came after her so she just got out of the car and ran as fast as she could in any direction. Unfortunately for her the sound of thunder overhead was heard and she continued to run even when the rain started to come down hard upon her. She only knew of one place where she could go, one place where she knew that she would be safe.

* * *

Constant knocking was heard on Van's door causing him to wake up from sleep. He looked over at his alarm clock and noticed that it was only twelve thirty in the morning and raining outside. "Who could be out there at this time and with these weather conditions?" he asked getting out of the now empty bed since his wife was away again.

Van let out a yawn as he flicked on the lights and pulled on a pair of blue sweatpants and a black t-shirt while he walked towards the door to see who was crazy enough to be up at this time of night.

Van finally reached the door as the person continued to knock and he opened it only to get the biggest shock of his life. It was Fiona. she had a cut and a bruise just below her right eyes, she was holding her stomach panting hard from all of the running, and completely drenched in rain. What made it worse was that she was completely scared out of her mind.

'Van," Fiona spoke sinking to her knees onto the wet porch and finally let out all of the tears that she had been holding in ever since she escaped from her former home. She welcomed the feeling when Van embraced her within a comforting hug to try and ease the pain that she was feeling.


	8. a new life

Fiona sat down on the couch with wrapped in a robe since she had to take off her clothes so that they could dry. She held a cup of hot chocolate in her hands, but she didn't really drink up but more of just stared at it as she waited for Van to return from where he had wondered off to.

Van walked into the room at that moment holding a first aid kit so that he could treat Fiona's wounds. They may have slowed down in their bleeding but her once beautiful face was covered in both dry and wet blood. The sight of it sent hatred through Van at the mere thought of the man who had done it to her.

No words needed to be spoken between the two of them as Van reached into the first aid kit and pulled out some gauze and some disinfectant to treat her wounds. "This may sting a little Fiona," Van said and when he lightly dabbed it over the wound that was just under her eye, she flinched at the light amount of contact.

Fiona had absolutely no idea what brought her to Van's place. She said to herself that it was because he was the closest to where she had run. She knew that deep down that was only an excuse, that the thing that brought her to Van was the part of her heart that still belonged to him. It was that same part of her that was the cause of the reason that she kissed him earlier in the day.

Van continued to clean her wounds with the utmost care that he could give to her. It hurt him to see her in such a state. He looked down at the finger that once held her engagement ring and was glad to see that it was gone. Even if she ever had planned on forgiving him, which he highly doubted that she would, and went back to him. Van knew that he would never allow her to do that. To see that she got rid of the ring he had given her meant that she had no intentions and that sent relief into his heart.

Fiona didn't know what it was that made her speak up because she didn't want to relive the experience that had just happened to her but she found herself telling Van all of it. "When I came home from my time with Moonbay, I found Ethan waiting for me and he was not happy. Apparently he had not heard it when I told him what I planned to do tonight and he ended up shouting out all sort of accusations towards me. He also accused me of sleeping with you. I told him that I was not but he didn't believe me and said that he wanted proof and for him that could only mean sleeping with him. I told him that I wouldn't and he went insane and he hit me," Fiona said flinching at the thought of what had happened.

Van didn't know why Fiona had said that. He wasn't even planning on asking her about it so that she wouldn't have to relive the experience but he was kind of grateful that he knew what happened between Fiona and her ex-fiancé.

"I am sorry for bugging you about all of this Van and I am sure your wife didn't appreciate it," Fiona said although she was sure that she hadn't seen the woman that Van called a wife anywhere around ever since she first stepped foot into the house. "You were just the first person that came to my mind when I was running away," Fiona said before tears started to once again flow down her cheeks.

Van wrapped his arms around Fiona and made soothing sounds so as to try and comfort her a little. "There, there Fiona. It is no problem that you came here; I will always help you if you need it. About my wife, she isn't even here right now so you don't have to worry about her. You are no where near Ethan now and I promise that I won't let him come near you again," Van said just holding Fiona by the back of her head very gently so that she sobbed into his chest.

"T-Thank you," Fiona stuttered trying her best to get her tears under control so that she wouldn't look so sad and pathetic in front of Van. "I am still sorry for troubling you at this hour. I will be gone by tomorrow though," Fiona said hoping that Van wouldn't have to put up with her for all that long.

"I already told you that it was ok Fiona. I have no problems with you staying here for as long as you want. When you do want to leave though, I will personally help you find a new place to live," Van said putting on a smile to his face. He felt good when he saw that Fiona returned the smile as well.

Van had no idea what possessed him to do what he did next. Just like earlier in the day, his body seemed to take over and he leaned down and captured Fiona's lips with his own and to his surprise she willingly responded to it by kissing him back with just as much passion.

Unfortunately for them, the sound of the front door opening pushed them back to reality and they flew quickly apart so as to not be caught doing what they had been doing a few seconds prior. They were glad they did because a second later, Tiffany came into the room.

Tiffany walked into the room and was not happy to see what was waiting for her. There was Fiona; her husband's ex-girlfriend wearing one of her robes and Van wasn't all that far away from her. "What the hell is she doing in my house!" was the first thing that came out of her mouth when she saw Fiona.

Van could already feel the migraine that was already starting to form in his head at the impending argument that he knew was to come from his wife. "She was hurt and I offered her a place to stay so don't you dare get on my case about wanting to help out a friend," Van said trying his best to keep his voice calm.

"I don't care! Give her back to her fiancé. Isn't that where she should be?" Tiffany asked without even trying to hold back the anger that was forming inside of her. 'Van is mine and I will not let her come and just take him from me,' Tiffany thought knowing that it would get her through any counter argument that Van could possibly give her.

Van hand clenched into a fist at his side and it started to shake at the mere thought of him giving Fiona over to that man. "There is no way in hell that I will ever let Fiona go back there! He was the one that injured her in the first place!" Van yelled finding his patience with his wife becoming all but existent.

"Like I said before, I don't care! Just get her the hell out of my house!" she yelled back determined more than ever to keep the woman who could possibly still hold a place in her husband's heart out of the house.

"No!" Van said shocking Tiffany because he rarely ever denied her that much. "Fiona is my friend and she is injured. I will not send a hurt friend out into the street. By the way, it is my house as well. I was the one that bought it with my money," Van said refusing to give into his wife no matter what tactics she tried to use.

Instead of staying there and causing trouble between Van and his wife, Fiona stood up and tried to make a quick retreat for the door. She completely forgot that she was in just a robe with only her undergarments underneath it. she was almost there when a voice stopped her.

"Where are you going Fiona?" Van asked in a soft tone almost as if he had not even been arguing with his wife only a second before. He stared at her with worried eyes into her sad and pain filled ones.

"I really don't want to cause any trouble for your wife and you. I will just go so things could remain at peace since my staying here will only cause problems," Fiona said keeping her voice under control because she suddenly felt like crying once again, she sure seemed to be doing a lot of that within this one night.

"You see? She has the right idea Van," Tiffany said thinking this was the perfect excuse to just get Fiona out of the house once and for all. "Just let her go like she wanted to," she said before plopping down upon the couch that Fiona had been sitting on only a minute prior.

"No you are not Fiona. Also in case you forgot, your clothes are still drying and you are only wearing a robe," Van said earning a glare from Tiffany, which he merely shrugged off. He was used to the temper of his wife so he knew what to expect. "Tiffany, you need to calm down a little. She will stay here for tonight whether you like it or not. This will be the end of the discussion," Van said and happy when he didn't hear a reply although he did hear a growl from Tiffany.

The place remained quiet for a while with Fiona looking towards the ground and Tiffany giving death glares to both Fiona and Van. "Now that that is settled, I will give you one of the guest rooms Fiona. If you want to leave then that is fine but at least go tomorrow and I will help you to find a place for you to stay. It will only cause even more problems for you to leave now in the middle of the night while it is raining this hard," Van said signaling out the window. He saw her only nod slightly before he lead the way out of the room.

Van walked out of the room a few moments later only to see his wife getting up and heading for their room. "I am only doing this to help a friend Tiffany. Why can't you understand that?" Van asked following closely behind her. He was forced to stop when she suddenly stopped and turned around with a seductive look on her face.

"I forgive you for yelling at me Van," she said walking up to him and placing her hands upon his firm chest. Van just rolled his eyes because she was the one that needed to be forgiven if Van felt like she was deserving of it. "Why don't we just head into the bedroom and discuss all that needs to be done about that woman," Tiffany said making an emphasis on the word that.

Before she could get too far. Van grabbed a hold of her wrists and took them off of his chest. "You just can't keep doing that!" he yelled although he was tempted to go with her into the room. He may have wanted that sort of thing for their relationship before when they weren't having it all that much but now she was just used to using it as an excuse to get what she wanted. Van wanted a relationship based off of love and not just sex. He was beginning to wonder if his wife even loved him like she once claimed to have.

"Fine! Have it your way. You are sleeping on the couch tonight!" she yelled storming into the room and slamming the door right into Van's face. Van just shook his head in frustration because he had already been sleeping there before Fiona even came. He walked to one of the hall closets and pulling out a spare pillow and blanket before walking over to the couch and falling asleep very quickly upon it.

* * *

Fiona eyes fluttered open early in the morning to the smell of something delicious within the air. She looked around and didn't recognize the room and shot up within the bed. It was only then that she remembered the events of the night before and calmed down a little.

Fiona stood up from the bed and dressed in the clothes that she wore the night before since she hadn't had any time to get any of her clothes when she was running away from Ethan's place. Walking out of the door and down the hall of the very luxurious home, Fiona came upon the kitchen and her eyes widened when she saw Van standing at the stove cooking some breakfast. He had never been all that good at cooking before, although he had tried so many time to cook for her it never seemed to come out as good as the smell makes it seem at times. She just hoped that this time the food would actually taste good. "Good morning Van," Fiona said taking a seat on one of the kitchen chairs.

"Hey there Fiona. You are just in time for breakfast. Tiffany left early so you shouldn't expect her to be around for another argument," Van said turning towards her with a smile on his face.

Fiona knew that that smile of his was only a means to cover up what he was actually feeling at that moment. They had kissed twice yesterday and he must have been feeling as confused as she was over what it meant for the two of them. "Ok. Um, Van?" Fiona asked making him turn around once again to look at her. "About what happened last night before your wife came home," Fiona said but she noticed that Van had turned the other way.

"So, um... pancakes or waffles?" Van asked trying to change the subject since he didn't know or want to answer that question. His heart and his logic were at war with each other. With his heart also having a war against itself. He was married to someone else and yet his feelings for the beauty before him were going against everything he had thought to become so accustomed to these past few years. Sometimes he started to wonder if he was over these feelings he once had for Fiona.

Fiona just gave a very weak smile at his attempt to change the subject so that he wouldn't have to go into what had happened between them. "Pancakes please," Fiona said looking down towards her lap.

Van brought her the food and the two of them ate in silence for a while unable to speak out of fear of something else happening between the two of them. Fiona was surprised when she took a bite of her food after a while of just letting it sit there. The food actually tasted very good. "This is very good Van. When did you learn how to cook?" she asked trying to start some sort of conversation with him.

Van merely shrugged his shoulders while trying to swallow his food. "I guess it just became a necessity for me to learn since I am alone here during most meals since Tiffany is so busy with her job," he said as if it weren't all that important.

Fiona was beginning to wonder just how much this woman was even home. As far as she had heard from Van, his wife was pretty much gone for most of the day as if she didn't have too much of a care about her marriage to Van. Fiona was pretty sure that not even Tiffany's job, from what she had heard, could possibly go on that long. "It must be lonely," Fiona stated what she knew was obvious.

"Yeah, it is. I thought that when I met her that I would be able to have the life that I couldn't have with you," Van said causing Fiona to blush a little out of embarrassment. "But she isn't around enough for my liking. All I want is a normal marriage," Van said with a sigh leaning back in his seat.

"Are you... unhappy?" Fiona had to ask. She noticed since they first met that he was a little different from before and that he didn't quite have the happiness that he had before when he was around her. She seemed to have figured out why now.

Much to Fiona's surprise, Van laughed out loud. She stared at him in confusion while he did his best to calm down. "Irvine and Moonbay are always asking me that. They thought that my marriage to her was bad from the beginning. As to whether I actually am, I don't know. I am lonely but I don't know about unhappy," Van said as truthfully as he could.

Although Van didn't outright say it, Fiona could tell that he actually was whether he knew it or not. "Is that so?" Fiona asked rest her face within the palms of her hands. "I guess I was kind of rude for me to ask that and I am sorry," Fiona said although something within her told her that she wasn't sorry.

"No, you don't have to be sorry. I have gotten that question a lot," Van said with a smile that was like the one he always used to wear for her. For a moment, he really was once again the man that Fiona had fallen in love with so many years ago. "Come on, you need to finish your breakfast. I know of a place you can stay and I don't want you arguing with me about it," Van said with a smile picking up his plate and putting it in the sink before walking into his room to get changed.

* * *

"Where exactly is it that we are going Van?" Fiona asked staring out of Van's car window. They had to use it because just like her clothes earlier, she was unable to take her car because the stupid thing refused to start.

"For the fifth time Fiona, you will see it when we get there. It is a very nice place and I am sure that you will like it," Van said with an amused sigh. They had been on the road for five minutes and she has asked the same question over and over. Van was lucky that the place was close so he wouldn't have to put up with the same question over and over.

The two drove in silence for about another twenty minutes with Fiona not asking the question at all. Van smiled when he finally stopped at his destination. He looked towards Fiona and his smile widened at the way she seemed astonished at the place he brought her to. "What do you think?" Van asked the amazed Fiona. He smiled even more when she turned towards him with wide eyes.

"It is very nice," Fiona said staring at a nice sized house that was near one of her favorite places to be, the ocean. "Van this place is way too nice," she said turning to him with a frown on her face.

"Like I said before, I won't stand for arguing. Besides, I bought this but can't live in it because Tiffany refuses to because she figures it is too small. I personally love this place and use it as a getaway when I need to. It could use someone living in it for a while," Van said with a smile that caused Fiona to smile as well and nod her head. "Besides, I have to fulfill a promise," he said with a smirk.

Fiona was completely shocked. "You still remember that?" she yelled out of surprise. Making Van chuckle a little and nod his head. "That was years ago! How can you possibly still remember it?" she asked facing him completely with a questioning look on her face.

"What can I say, I am a man that likes to keep to his word. Years ago I promised that I would take you to the beach someday since you told me you really wanted to go since you hadn't gone since... well you know," said Van not wanting to bring up the subject since it was hard on Fiona.

"Yeah," Fiona said softly looking towards the ground. She didn't want to think about what happened in the past. The more she thought about it the harder it became for her to bare the burden it placed upon her. "You have done so much for me Van. I don't know of anything that I can do for you," Fiona said looking at the ground sadly.

"You don't have to do anything for me. Helping you is enough of a reward for me," Van said with a smile before wrapping his arm around her shoulder in a friendly manner. "Come on Fiona. Lets go inside and I can show you around for a little. Then we can go and get you stuff that you will need since I am sure you won't want to go back there for your stuff," Van said before leading her into the nice place.

Van showed Fiona all over the luxurious place and was happy to see the happiness that was within her eyes while looking at it. It was as if she had completely forgot about what had happened to her only the night before and Van was extremely glad about that. He showed her all around from the porch that faced the ocean, to the kitchen, each of the bedrooms.

"This place is completely amazing. I am surprised that your wife wouldn't want to live here," Fiona said when the two of them finally sat down for a cup of coffee after Van had shown her the entire house.

"I told you before Fiona. She is only interested in large houses and this is probably the smallest one that I own. If I had my choice I would live here without a second thought. I had to beg her for just the house that we live in now," Van said with a slight chuckling remembering what had happened that day he had to literally beg her. "Enough about that though. There is a lot that we need to get done by the end of the day," Van said taking a sip out of his coffee.

* * *

Van walked into his house very tired just before the sun had set that night. It had once again started to rain so he was a bit wet and all he wanted to do was get in a get warm. He had forgotten how stubborn Fiona could be at times. She refused to let him buy some of the things that she needed but he still did that anyways despite her protests.

Van looked up from walking into the door to see his wife sitting on the couch with her arms folded and a mad look on her face. Van was surprised to see her because most of the time it was him that was home first and waiting for her to come back but this time it was the exact opposite.

Tiffany looked up from the TV where she had been watching the news, which happened to have a nice little story about the rich businessman Flyheight out on the town with a very beautiful unknown woman. To say she looked mad was an understatement; she was downright pissed. She got up from her seat and stormed over to Van and got right into his face. "What the hell were you doing with that whore earlier today?" she yelled referring to the news on the TV.

That really set Van off. She had no right to call Fiona something like a whore. "Where the hell do you get off saying something like that to her? She has never done anything to you and you are just saying these sort of things about her!" Van yelled making her back up a few steps.

"All she is trying to do is take you away from me Van. She is nothing but a conniving bitch," Tiffany yelled tweaking the last few bits of Van's restraints that she has left. Tiffany suddenly calmed down and walked towards Van in a seductive way. "Why bother with her Van," she spoke in a sultry voice. "I am able to give you so much more than she can. Just forget about her," she said placing her hands upon his chest.

Van had just about had enough. Without even meaning to, he pushed her off of him making her fall to the ground but not to hard so that she wouldn't get hurt. "That is enough! I have had it with you and you stupid games of jealousy," Van said walking towards his room with Tiffany following shortly after him.

Van stormed into his room and immediately went to his closet where he pulled out a small suitcase. He pulled out his clothes and started to pile them into the suitcase rather quickly. He saw his wife come into the room shortly after that but he didn't even pay her any heed.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" she yelled running up and taking the stuff that he had already put into his suitcase and throwing them out back into the closet only to have Van grab them again and once again put them back into the suitcase. "You are going to her aren't you? Can't you see that she is just manipulating you? You have never done anything like this before she came!" Tiffany yelled stopping her useless attempted to get the clothes out of the suitcase.

Van turned towards her quickly with anger flashing within his eyes. "She is doing no such thing, you are! You are becoming nothing more than a jealous person who seems to enjoy making fun of my friend. I have no idea what I am going to do about us but I really need to get away for a while," Van said turning back to his suitcase and zipping it up before picking it up and walking out of the door and towards his car.

"Like hell you are!" Tiffany yelled running after him and grabbing a hold of his suitcase while they both stood out in the rain. Before Van could do anything, she ripped it out of his hands and attacked his lips with her own.

For some reason, this held absolutely no feeling whatsoever. Van regained his composure after the slight shock and pushed her away gently before picking up his now wet suitcase. 'Just great!' he thought throwing the bag into his trunk. "I am going away for a while to figure what I plan to do next. Just leave me alone until then so I can everything straight with myself and clear my head a bit," Van told her before jumping into his car to get out of the rain.

She once again tried to grab him again but he had shut the door and was already pulling away before she even had a chance to move. Now all that she could do was watch him drive away from her. 'That bitch has done this to him,' she thought bitterly before walking back into the house to get out of the rain herself.

* * *

Fiona walked out of the room the next morning with a bright smile on her face as she looked around the nice place. She knew that she wouldn't mind staying in a nice place like this. Van had given her so much the previous day and she had no idea how she was ever going to be able to repay him for his kindness.

A sudden sound caught her ears and she followed it to the source. She walked through the halls into the kitchen where she was surprised to see that Van was there already drinking a cup of coffee. He did not look too happy through and continuously continued to rub his forehead like he had a headache. "What are you doing here so early Van?" Fiona asked fastening the robe that she was wearing more securely around her for reasons that she didn't know.

Van looked up at her with tired eyes and gave her a weak smile. "I hope you don't mind but I will be staying here for a while as well," Van said dropping the smile. He had no choice but to stay here with Fiona even though he knew it would be hard. He had no other places that were close by, and he always came here when he needed to clear his head. He saw Fiona's questioning look. "Tiffany and I had a huge argument and I just need to get away for a while," Van said with a sad smile.

"Oh, sorry," Fiona said knowing that the argument was more than likely over her because she had also seen the news the previous night. She saw him just give her a shake of his head as if to tell her it wasn't her fault.

"Don't worry about it Fiona. She has acted like this a lot even before you came back. I always end up coming here whenever that happens. Right now I just need to get away and clear my head," Van said before turning his head and taking a sip out of his coffee.

"Oh, ok," Fiona said a little unsure. She had no idea what was going to happen to her life next. She was now going to be staying in this luxurious place with her old lover. They had always talked about getting a place together but that was back when the two of them were still going out and deeply in love. Somehow she found that her new life was suddenly going to become a lot more difficult.


	9. pains of the past

Fiona was getting bored over the next few days. Van was refusing to allow her to come back to work for a while until they were both sure that she was ok. For Fiona, although she wished to go back more than anything, she was still very shaken up over the ordeal with her ex-fiancé. She wanted to work to get her mind off of it all but Van was still refusing to allow her back until he was sure that she was better.

Fiona couldn't help but laugh. It was almost as if they were back in high school. There were many times where even though Fiona was sick, she would always try to go to school so that she would fall behind or miss any tests. It was always Van that would force her back into her bed when he came to pick her up and not allow her up until she agreed to stay in bed. Most of the time it ended in a heated debate but Van always seemed to win which was why Fiona was currently in the position that she is in.

It wasn't only that she couldn't work that was bugging Fiona. Her whole situation with Van was very difficult on her. Ever since she broke up with him all those years ago, she never thought that she would end up seeing him again, let alone living under the same roof as him even if it was just because they were both having too many problems.

'Wasn't this what you always wanted Fiona? Wasn't this what you two planned on doing before you broke up with him for stupid reasons?' Her mind taunted but Fiona knew that it was no use arguing because she knew that all of it was true.

She looked back upon those days a lot and hated herself for doing what she did. Fiona loved Van more than anything back then but she just gave him up because of a choice that was made for her. She sometimes wondered if maybe it would be her that was married to Van if the two of them stayed together.

'Too late to think about something like that, you did this to yourself back then,' her mind said and Fiona knew that it was right once again. 'Then again, you are single again and Van is having problems with his wife. So who knows what could happen,' it told her.

Fiona shook the thought off sadly. 'It won't happen,' she said lying back on her bed where she had been trying to rest but her mind was too restless and it was causing her to lose some of the sleep that she was hoping to get on this forced time off. "Am I going to be able to make it through all this with my sanity?" Fiona asked herself closing her eyes and finally falling into a small nap.

* * *

Van sat back in his chair and closed his eyes while rubbing his eyes. It was a very slow day and he hadn't had much to get done. He was surprised with how far ahead they were but then again he wasn't because he knew that with Fiona around that things would be that way.

Van was leaning back in his chair but almost fell over when the doors to his office slammed open and a very angry Tiffany came storming into the room. 'Oh great, now comes the yelling,' he thought with a groan. He expected this when he just left their home a few days before. It was only now that she caught up with him.

"It is about time that I found you!" she yelled at the top of her lungs catching the attention of everyone that was in the area. "Where the hell have you been? I have been trying to contact you for the past few days and I could never find you!" she continued to yell as others actually started to watch the scene through the still open door.

Van was glad that he never told her where he went when they had these sorts of problems. "I told you that I wanted some time alone. Do you think that I would just be easy to find?" Van asked but he knew that he was. It not like she would look in some of the simplest places anyways.

"It is time that you forget this nonsense and just came back home Van! Is this one foolish girl going to ruin our marriage that we worked so hard for?" she asked in a slightly softer tone but Van knew that it was merely for show.

Van just leaned back and looked back out of the window rather than at his wife. "Maybe it is you who needs to forget this nonsense. Not everything revolves around your wants and needs. Fiona needed help and I gave it and I don't need your permission to do so," he said calmly.

She started to yell a lot more but it appeared that Van wasn't even paying any attention to her anymore. "Argh!" she yelled before storming through the door and through the crowd of people.

Van just rolled his eyes and shook his head while he watched her to go. He wanted his marriage to work. He had made a vow and wanted to stick by it but her temper was really starting to get on his nerves and he had been too confused even since Fiona came back into his life.

'Face it; you want it to fail. Just think about this. Fiona is no longer getting married and if you leave your wife then the two of you can be together again like it was supposed to be from the beginning,' his mind told him but it only served to give Van a headache.

He started to rub his head when suddenly the door to the room flew open again and Van groaned. 'I wish everyone would leave me alone right now,' he pleaded and looked up to see who had so rudely barged into his room without him being told.

His eyes hardened immediately and his hands clenched into fists and he saw Ethan come stomping into the office and he did not look the least bit pleased. Van was extremely tempted to just have him thrown out of the window before he could even get a chance to speak. "Get out!" he growled with threatening eyes that the man wasn't even the least bit fazed with.

"Where the hell is Fiona?" The man demanded slamming his fists down on the table but Van didn't even flinch at the man. "Where the hell is my fiancée?" he demanded again but Van didn't even bother to respond but continued to glare at the man in front of him.

Finally Van decided to speak. "There is no way in hell that I am ever going to tell you where she is after what you did to her. It's not like she even wants to see you so you had better stay the hell away from her," Van growled barely being able to control the tone of his voice. He felt like if Ethan stood in front of him any longer that he wouldn't be able to control what he'd do.

"Tell me where my fiancée is!" the man demanded getting right into Van's face with a menacing look that Van just shrugged away as if it didn't have any sort of effect upon him.

"EX-Fiancée," Van stated making sure to put a big emphasis on the word ex. "She does want anything to do with you anymore and neither do I. So you had better get out of my office before I have the security escort you out," Van said putting on a calm face that contrasted his true anger at seeing the man. When the man seemed to be making no attempted to move Van decided to just use the ladder of the two options. "Security," he said into and two men came into the room a few seconds later.

"You can't keep her from me Flyheight. I know that she will take me back if I talk to her," Ethan said but Van just gave him an, 'I don't think so' look. He felt the security guards grab a hold of his arms but he just pulled it away and stormed out of the room much like Tiffany had a few minutes.

'Please say that that is the last of them,' he pleaded leaning back into his seat and rubbing his forehead where the headache that had been threatening him all day was starting to increase in its intensity.

* * *

"I don't see why you don't take this as a good thing Van. You finally have the chance to have what you had wanted even long after the two of you broke up. Yet you still cling to someone who doesn't seem to care for you too much," Irvine said as the two of them left work later in the day both exhausted mentally and physically.

It had been a very busy day after Van's encounter with Ethan and his wife and he just wanted to sleep and not think about anything for the rest of the day. Unfortunately, Irvine wasn't making it easy on him by talking about that sort of subject. "I made a vow Irvine, just like you did. I intend to try and keep it," Van said but his voice held some uneasiness.

"That would be the point of divorce. Come on Van. You and I both know that I am right. You and Fiona were meant to be together ever since you met each other. Took you too long to get together the first time. Yet when you did it was probably the happiest time of your life. You can have that again. She isn't getting married anymore," Irvine said growing more and more aggravated by the minute with the way that Van was refusing to agree with him.

"Irvine, I would really appreciate it if you would just drop the subject. I am not just going to do something like that because you want me to. Fiona and I are over, it can never happen again," Van said in a tired voice as he got into his car. He hoped that he would be able to get home before he fell asleep.

"That is only because you won't allow yourself to be happy again," Irvine said before he turned around and started to walk in the direction of his car hoping that Van might someday take his advice before it really is too late for the two of them to get back together.

'Only because you won't allow yourself to be happy again,' the words echoed within Van's head long after Irvine had left. "I am happy, aren't I?" Van asked himself while driving down the road towards his beach home. "What is it that makes me happy though?" Van asked himself.

The image of both Fiona and Tiffany popped up into his head. The two of them were so different from each other. Fiona was kind, sweet, innocent, yet had little faith in her choices at times. Then there was Tiffany who was kind of loud, gets angry easily, and yet has full confidence in herself.

Van shook his head to clear his thoughts because he felt that it was wrong for him to be comparing his wife to his old girlfriend. His heart was torn slightly. He could not deny to himself that Fiona still held a part of his heart with her grasp. That was the cause of their encounters and why he found it hard to let go of the past. He had to remind himself constantly that he was married to stop himself from doing something they might later regret though. It was bad enough that he kissed someone that wasn't his wife.

He could remember clearly how it was that he met his wife. Things were so different back then. He was still slinging to the hope that Fiona would come back to him even if he knew that it was almost impossible.

Flashback

Van walked down the streets late one night. Irvine had dragged him along for a night on the town but Van left early without Irvine noticing. The two of them had just graduated college and Irvine seemed to like doing nothing but partying to celebrate the occasion.

Van had working in a very well known company for a while now. He was quickly making his way up the corporate ladder even if he wasn't even out of college while he was doing that. He was now one of the top people working directly under his boss Crougar. In fact, Crougar had been talking about retiring lately and much to Van's surprise; Crougar actually said that he wanted Van to take over the company when he did.

Van felt that it was an unwise decision because he was still young and that there were plenty of people that would do a much better job at it then he could but Crougar seemed to refuse to take no for an answer.

It seemed that the news of it got out rather quickly because he suddenly became very well known after that. He couldn't go anywhere without anyone noticing him and approaching him.

As many could imagine, it also made him quite popular with the women. It attracted them from all around. He hated how it attracted so many yet it couldn't attract the one that he wanted. He had not heard from her at all since their breakup and that disappointed Van to no ends. Yet he continued to wait with the hope that she would come back.

The stars glowed brightly within the sky and the moon shined brightly down upon him as he walked into a small park that was in the middle of the city. The park was almost empty except for a few couples around. Van felt jealous for them since they were able to be with the ones they loved and yet he couldn't.

Van found an open area and just laid back on the grass and stared at the stars. The made him feel at peace within his tortured mind. It was telling him to just forget and get on with his life, but his heart didn't want him to forget.

"You all alone out here?" a soft voice asked from behind Van making him sit up quickly and turn around to face the person. "Oh, I am sorry to startle you. I just saw you here and was wondering why you were all alone," the woman said with a small smile on her face.

"Yeah, I just wanted to come out here and look at the stars. It sometimes helps me to clear my head when I am confused," Van said staring intently at the stars and also at the beautiful woman that was next to him.

"Oh really?" she said softly to herself. "Do you mind if I join you?" she asked pointing to a spot that was right next to him. She just saw him shrug and took that as a yes and sat down and pulled her knees up to her chest and looked up at the sky the same way that Van was. "Why are you by yourself? Don't you have anyone to be with like everyone else around here?" she asked not looking away from the sky.

"I don't have anyone to be with. The one I love left me and I continue to wait with a hope that she will come back," Van said although he wasn't sure why he was telling a complete stranger about something like this.

"Why wait for someone who obviously doesn't love you in return? I would say you are wasting your time," she stated the fact so pimply that it scared Van a lot. "Sounds very sad to me," she said softly.

Van just sighed because he knew that the woman was right. "I guess. By the way, I almost forgot to introduce myself. My name is Van," Van said holding out his hand to shake the woman's.

"Tiffany," she said reaching out to shake his hand out as well. There was something about her that reminded Van so much of Fiona. He guessed that was why he found it easy to talk to her then.

End Flashback

She was so different back then. Van did not know what it was that happened to her to make her become the woman that she was today. He was curious as to if one of those two personalities were even real.

"Why the hell is my life so damn complicated?" Van asked himself as he pulled up to the house. All of the lights were still on so he knew that Fiona was up. He was kind of hoping to not have to face her but he guessed it was inevitable since they were living under the same roof.

* * *

Fiona felt relaxed being submerged into the tub of hot water. She had so much time on her hands that she decided to take a relax bath. Something that she hadn't had the time to enjoy in such a long, whether it was her job, or Ethan trying to make his moves on her to try and get her to have sex with him.

This also gave her some time to think about the way that her life had been going. Everything seemed to be jumbled up inside of her head with her break up with Ethan and suddenly finding herself living under the same roof as Van like they had planned so many years back only this time under different circumstances.

Years ago Fiona made a choice, one that was forced upon her by circumstances that were beyond her control. There were things about it all that Van did not know and she wasn't sure if he would understand them or not. 'He has the right to know but I don't know if I would be able to talk to him about it,' Fiona thought to herself.

Trying to get away from any thoughts dealing with the past, Fiona got out of the tub and wrapped a robe around her. She exited the bathroom and walked across the hall and towards her room so that she would be able to changed. She stopped when she noticed Van standing there, staring at her.

Van was mentally yelling at himself. He couldn't help but stare at Fiona the way that she looked. Her wet hair stuck to her neck and gave her an exotic look and also that she was only in a robe made things look better. The robe was slightly damp so it stuck to her curves to show he nice figure.

Van finally realized that he was staring and blushed slightly before turning around. It wasn't that he was embarrassed of seeing her in such a state since he had seen her in less dress many times. It was that he was married and staring at her like he used to. "I-I'm sorry," he stuttered.

Fiona was also shocked to see him there because she wasn't aware that he had even come home. She suddenly realized her current state of dress and rushed into her room to finish getting changed before she would have to face him about that.

The look that she had seen in Van's eyes when he stared at her sent shivers racing down Fiona's spine. It was a mixture of desire, love, and all the things that he used to show her when they were still together.

After just dressing into a simple pair of shorts and a t-shirt, Fiona walked out of her room and towards the living room where she was almost sure that Van was going to be sitting, watching the news. Sure enough, he was there when she got to the room. "Hey Van," she said pretending not to see the looks he was giving her earlier.

"Hey," Van murmured slightly. He was busy trying to get rid of the image that he had seen only a few minutes prior. He could barely contain the desire that he had felt at that moment and wished that it would go away. It was not helping his already confused mind to think those thoughts.

The two just sat there in an uneasy silence. "Van?" Fiona said silently trying to get his attention. She had something very important to tell him and she knew that she had to tell him now or she might not be able to find the courage to tell him again.

Van turned towards Fiona and looked into her nervous eyes. "Fiona wait, I have a question to ask you and I need an honest answer. What happened to us back then? We were happy. We were going to be going to the same college but you suddenly changed our plans and then decided to break up with me. Why?" he asked looking at her with urgent eyes.

Van had asked her this question before when they had first started to working with each other but she had been unable to answer his question back then but he was hoping that she would be able to answer his question this time. "Please, I need to know. Did you even love me back then?" he asked remembering the words that Tiffany used when the two of them first met, 'Why wait for someone who obviously doesn't love you in return?'

Fiona felt a little better about talking about that now since that was what she wanted to talk to him about in the first place. "I really did love you Van. It was not my choice to change colleges but a decision made solely by my mother without my consent," she spoke softly looking towards the ground.

Van just shook his head and groaned. "I should have known," he said shaking his head in annoyance. It was really common knowledge back then that Fiona's mother hated the thought of her only daughter being with Van. She felt that the only thing that Fiona need was money, not love. He felt that he should have realized that it was her fault in the first place.

She had called him a worthless good for nothing. She had claimed that his only way through life was his pathetic dreams and ideals and that she hated the fact that Fiona was taking on his ideals. He wondered what her reaction was when she learned about where his pathetic dreams and ideals had gotten him.

"I couldn't do anything about it when it happened. She just threw it upon me and expected me to obey. I wanted so desperate for her to finally respect me that I just gave in without a fight," Fiona spoke sadly.

She had lived with her father most of his life since him and Fiona's mother were separated. Sadly enough, he died not long before she moved in with her mother and met Van for the first time.

She loved her father more than anything in the world. He had taught her so much when she was younger. Put her in the right direction towards a happy life. She was devastated when he died.

When she moved in with her mother, there wasn't nearly amount of love that her father gave her. Her mother tried to command her life and make Fiona into a younger version of herself. Fiona tried for so long to impress her but it never seemed to do her any good.

"When did this happen Fiona?" Van asked placing a comfortable hand upon her shoulder. He saw how much she was devastated she looked at the memories of her choices in the past but he felt bad that he couldn't have done anything back then to help her.

"A few days before I broke up with you. I just couldn't deal with what was happening. I do stick by what I said though. I didn't want you to be stuck with someone that you couldn't be with because of the distance that we were going to be apart," Fiona said an she didn't even realize that her tears were falling until she felt Van reach out and wipe them away. She just started to talk after that, reliving the day when her life became hell.

Flashback

Fiona walked into her house happily after her date with Van. She felt like she was the happiest person in the world and that nothing could possibly ruin it. She was in love with a great man and what made it even better was that he loved her just as equally in return.

She found something funny. They were so in love that the friends Irvine and Moonbay were already trying to make wedding plans for the two of them. It was very amusing and also kind of annoying at the same time. She wasn't completely sure if she was even ready for marriage yet.

"You are finally back!" came the over joyous voice of her mother. Fiona didn't know if she liked the sound of it because her mother had almost never been happy with her ever since she started to go out with Van.

She came walking into the room carrying something behind her back but Fiona was unable to get a good look at what it was because her mother was trying her best to keep it out of view for that moment. "I was starting to think that you might have run away with that wretched boy," she said. "By the way, I have some great news for you," she said with a bright smile.

Fiona looked at her with rather cautious eyes. She had this feeling in the pit of her stomach that whatever her mother had to say, it wouldn't do Fiona any good to know. She felt like she just wanted to get away and take her mothers previous words seriously and run away with Van.

Her mother pulled out a small package from behind her back and held it out to Fiona, which she cautiously took as if unsure whether she wanted to look or not. She carefully opened the package and read over the stuff that was inside. It was stuff for a college. "What is this? I am not going to be going there. I am going to be going to college with my friends," Fiona said staring at her mother with dread in her eyes.

"Oh no your not. You don't have to worry about that. I already took you out of it," her mother said with a bright smile on her face. She saw the horror that was on Fiona's face and didn't even seem bothered by it. "I worked hard to get you in there so you had better be happy about it," she said with a smile.

"You can't just do that mother!" Fiona yelled throwing the papers behind her causing them to scatter all over the floor. "You can't just make that decision for me without my consent. What about my friends, what about Van?" She yelled distraught that the mother she had worked so hard to impress would do something like this to her.

"Forget about all of them Fiona. Especially Van. All that he will lead you to is trouble. It is time that you grow up and stop thinking only for yourself. This will do you a lot of good," her mother said in a no arguments kind of voice.

Fiona could feel the tears running down her face as she slowly backed away towards the door. "I hate you!" she yelled before she turned around and ran full speed out of the door.

Fiona found herself walking around a park that was close to her home. It wasn't the one that her and Van had first kissed and gotten together but one that would hold a different meaning for them.

She had avoided him for the past few days after her mother forceful decision was placed upon her. She was leaving the next day and she knew what she had to do dealing with Van. He would be distraught but she was trying to save him the future pain that he would most likely suffer if they were to remain together.

She had called Van not too long ago saying that she needed to talk to him and that she wanted to meet him in this park. She was dreading it but wanted to get it done so that they could both get on with their lives. He suddenly came into view with his back faced away from her. She choked on her words but manage to pull herself together and spoke, "Van?"

End Flashback

Van sat and listened to every word that Fiona spoke as she told about what happened back then around the time that they broke up. He should have realized that it was Fiona's mothers fault because Fiona was too excited about going to the same college as him a few days prior. "I didn't know," he whispered out sadly staring at Fiona.

"I'm sorry that I didn't tell you sooner. It was just too painful for me to mention and I wanted so desperately to forget that it ever happened," Fiona said as the tears fell down her face only to be wiped away by Van's gentle hands. She looked up into his face and saw several different emotions. Pity, anger towards her mother, and a emotion that she knew he shouldn't be having.

It was the same things as before with them being unable to control their bodies as they moved towards each other. Their lips once again locked in the passion that they were so used to in the past.

Van mind was split between his love and his logic. He knew that he was married to Tiffany and that he loved her but as much as he hated to admit it he was still in love with Fiona as much as he did when the two of them were still going out with each other. Now was one of the times in his life that he had no idea what to do and just went upon his instincts, which was to kiss the beautiful woman back.

They broke from the heated kiss both flushed. Fiona shook her head slight before she stood up and immediately ran into her room without a word spoken to Van. She was only hurting herself by holding onto that piece of her past but it was something that couldn't be let go of and forgotten so easily.

Van just sat there staring into the direction that Fiona had ran off to. He brought his hand up to his lips and touched the spot that Fiona's lips had been touching a few seconds before. Guilt started to overwhelm him suddenly and he clutched his head and anger and guilt started to consume him.

"Why are things being so hard for me. I am hurting the two people that I care for most. If I keep things going this way then they will both be hurt but someone will still be hurt if I do something," Van said lying down on the couch while rubbing his head. 'What the hell am I going to do?'


	10. beginnings

Van was just lying on his bed unable to sleep. He was hardly tired at all and just found himself staring at the ceiling as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. His thoughts were clouded with ideas that he knew he shouldn't be having. Yet he was finding himself incapable of pushing the thoughts out of his head.

Fiona was the thought that he couldn't get out of his head. She was the one clouding his thoughts almost every second since they saw each other again and he wished that the thoughts would just leave his head. He was married after all.

The sound of his door opening caught his ear and he turned to see Fiona walk into his room wearing a robe. He visibly gulped since the object of his problems was standing in front of him. He knew that he had to talk to her though. "Is there something the matter Fiona?" Van asked seeing her just continuing to stand there.

Fiona didn't reply to him. She started to walk towards him again. One of the shoulders of her robe slid off to reveal bare shoulders and gulped again. 'Oh crap!' he said feeling himself starting to sweat.

Fiona came to a stop to the side of his bed. She kneeled down till she was level with his height. She spoke softly but Van was able to hear it because of his close proximity. "I want you Van," she spoke before seizing his lips into a kiss.

Van was becoming more nervous by the second as this beautiful woman continued to do this to him. He had no idea what he was doing but his hands were moving by themselves towards the knot that was holding the robes together and with one simple tug the came undone and the robe fell off her to reveal her in all her glory.

Van just couldn't take his eyes away from the sight before him and the kiss that was being given to him. His arms wrapped around her waist and he tugged her onto the bed and rolled over so that he was on top. He stared down at her with lustful eyes and leaned in for kiss while whispering something. "I still love you Fiona."

* * *

Van shot up in his bed. He was sweating profusely and his breathing was slightly labored. He looked to his side and was relieved to see that Fiona wasn't there like in his dream. 'It was just a dream, that is all that it was,' he told himself but it didn't really make him feel any better. 

He looked towards his alarm clock next and it told him that it was currently three in the morning. Van fell back on his bed exhausted. Yet he knew that he was not going to be getting anymore sleep for the rest of the night after what he had just dreamed about.

Van stood up and walked out of his room and towards the bathroom. He ran some water and then splashed some into his face hoping it would knock some sense into him. He stared at his wet reflection and sighed. "What is wrong with me?" he asked himself quietly.

"Van?" Fiona's quiet voice penetrated through the air into his already shocked nerves. He jumped slightly before calming down a little and turning to face her and instantly regretted it. She looked exactly like in his dream just wrapped in a robe but he was unsure if she had anything underneath.

He took a deep breath. "Hey Fiona," he said quietly leaning against the counter for some support. His knees were feeling a bit weak. "What are you doing up Fiona? It's three in the morning," Van pointed out although he wasn't exactly one to talk since he was also up and this hour as well.

"I heard you walking around and I wanted to make sure if you were alright. Everything is alright, isn't it?" Fiona asked looking at Van with her beautiful crimson eyes that Van almost always found himself so lost in.

"I am just having a little trouble sleeping. There is nothing to be worried about. You should get back to bed though. It won't help you any to be up at this hour," Van said giving her a small smile.

Fiona just nodded her head and turned to leave before stopping. Turning her head slightly she spoke to Van. "You should also get some sleep too Van. Good night Van," she said before walking towards her room at a slow pace.

Van gave a sigh of relief. When he heard her door shut he walked out of the bathroom as well and towards his room. He reached it and was about to grab the doorknob when he suddenly had second thoughts and turned around to leave. He knew he wasn't going to get any sleep anyways. He figured that he would go for a small walk to try and clear his head even if it was too early in the morning.

* * *

"What's up with you man? You look pretty tired," Irvine pointed out later that morning when Van reluctantly went to work. He had no wish to but he fell behind a little after his encounter with his wife and Ethan the other day. 

"I wasn't able to get much sleep. I had a dream that wouldn't seem to allow me any sort of rest last night," Van said while rubbing his tired eyes. "I am worried Irvine. I am really starting to screw up my life with all that has been happening to me," Van said letting out a yawn.

"I think you should let this life you have right now screw up, and then you can make a new one with Fiona," he said intentionally putting a small double meaning into the second part just to tease Van a little. He saw Van blush a little and knew that Van picked up on his words. Strangely enough, he didn't object.

"I have been screwing it up Irvine. I am going to be hurting two people that I care for deeply if I don't find some way to fix it," van said looking up at Irvine with his bloodshot eyes. He saw the questioning look in Irvine's eyes. He knew he would regret saying it but he needed to tell someone to get this off his chest. "I kissed Fiona," he murmured.

Irvine was very taken back by Van's sudden confession. He didn't know Van would be that truthful to him about something that serious. "I didn't know you had it in you Van. When'd this happen?" Irvine asked with a smirk on his face.

Van decided to just be blunt about this. "The night Fiona came to me for help last week, earlier that day on our way back from our lunch break, and also last night," Van said recalling all the encounters that they had. He could still remember everything clearly when it happened all of those time, the emotions, and the feel of her lips against his.

Now Irvine was really shocked. He had always thought Van had things so together but by the looks of it he was unable to control his actions on what he was doing whenever he was around Fiona. It was clear the guy was still in love with her and considering they kissed before Fiona broke up with her ex-fiancé after they kissed meant that she was feeling the exact same way. "Wow," was all that Irvine was able to muster up.

"I am only setting myself up for a big fall. I am hurting both of them with my actions. I don't know what I am going to do," Van said looking at Irvine. "No, I can't do that Irvine," Van said before Irvine managed to get what he had planned to say out of his mouth.

"All that I am saying van is that you should keep that in mind. You are torn to between two people, a wife who probably doesn't even love you and the woman that you love who loves you back. What a hard decision," Irvine said with sarcasm dripping from his voice.

Van was beginning to wonder why he told Irvine this in the first place. Irvine seemed even more determined to make Van break things off with his wife. He wondered what made him and Moonbay hate her so much. "Why do you hate her so much Irvine, what has she done to you? Have you even tried to be friends?" Van asked seriously.

"Plenty of times. The problem is that she doesn't want to be friends with us. I also have my own personal reasons as to why I don't like her. Did you know that one time she actually started to through around accusations for me and Moonbay?" Irvine asked making Van give him a questioning look. "I almost lost my marriage because of that. She didn't even seem to have a care about it afterwards though. She has absolutely no pity towards others. You should see that most since you have lived with her for a while now."

"She couldn't have done that!" Van yelled refusing to face what he knew was the truth within his own heart. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have shouted like that," Van said leaning his head back. "I am just so confused, that I don't know what is what anymore," Van said with a sigh.

Irvine grabbed Van's cell phone off of his desk and looked at it closely for a while. "You always know what is open to you when you finally decide what it is that you truly want. You have a chance to be happy again, it has to be your choice though," Van said sliding the phone to Van before standing up and walking out of Van's office and back towards his own.

Van looked at the cell phone in front of him. 'A chance to be happy? What am I going to do?' he asked himself in a pleading way hoping that something would be able to tell him what it was that he should do.

Van growled in frustration and stood up grabbing his cell phone and walked in a rather fast pace out of the office only muttering something to his temporary secretary about taking a break before he left the office. He had an idea but he wasn't sure if it would be a good one.

Van left the building a few minutes after his office and immediately got into his car before driving full speed away from the building. He wanted to get away before anyone could stop him because he needed time to think and he knew of the perfect person that could help him. The problem was with all this is that the old man was a little eccentric. Yet wise at the same time.

Van drove for a good twenty minutes before he came upon a small building. The building belonged to the eccentric scientist Dr. D. Van had known the old man for many years and the old man also knew Fiona as well even if the old man hadn't seen her for a while.

Without even bothering to knock, Van walked into the small lab since Dr. D had given him permission to do so a long time ago. He looked around the small laboratory but the old man was nowhere to be found.

Van noticed all of the crazy inventions that Dr. D was working on. Some were strange but other worked really well. After all, Van's company was using a lot of appliances that were made by Dr. D anyways.

Van stopped to look at a small appliance even if he had no idea what it was or how it worked. It looked interesting on the outside. He saw a small button on the side of the object and his curiosity got the better of him and he pressed it. a second later he jumped when a loud wailing sound emerge from the object. It nearly dropped out of his hand but he grabbed it and turned the sound off quickly.

"This things seems to be more annoying than helpful," Van said when suddenly a sound caught his ear. It was the sound of snoring and that could only mean that Dr. D was nearby at that moment. Van took another look around before seeing a sleeping figure underneath some appliance he was probably trying to fix.

Van walked over to the old man and shook his head with a slight laugh. "Same old Dr. D," Van said with a laugh. He tried kicking him lightly in the leg but that received him no response at all. Van suddenly remembered the object from before and an evil smirk appeared upon his face.

He walked away and returned a moment later with the object in his hand. He kneeled down and pressed the button so the loud wailing filled the room again and smirked when Dr. D awoke with a start and ended up nailing his head on the bottom of the object that he was trying to repair.

"Damn it Van. Did you really have to wake me from my sleep in such a harsh way?" Dr. D asked without even having to look at Van. It was an instinct he seemed to have after knowing the young man before him since close to the day that Van was born. He had been a close friend to the Flyheight family for years.

"Now where is the fun in that," Van asked with an amused smirk plastered on his face. Van held out a hand for Dr. D and he took it and Van hoisted him onto his feet while he was rubbing his head with his other hand. "I came to talk to you about something old man," Van said becoming serious.

"What would be the problem this time? Are you having problems with your company, or could it possibly be problems with your wife again?" Dr. D asked knowing that it had to be for one of those two reasons because when Van had a problem with one of those two he would come to him.

"I don't feel like wasting time so I will get right down to the point of my visit. "Do you remember Fiona old man?" Van asked with all seriousness in his voice showing that he didn't want Dr. D to mess around.

"Sure I do. Quite the woman you used to have. Loving, kind to a fault; she would have made a good wife for you if you two hadn't broken up. Now look what you got and what she is compared to Fiona. Why is it that you asked me this Van?" Dr. D asked quirking an eyebrow in Van's direction.

"A few weeks back I was told that I would be getting a new secretary and it turned out to be her," Van said looking away. "Ever since then my entire life seems to have been getting more and more screwed up. I really needed some help so I came to talk to you," Van said with a sigh.

Dr. D knew that he was right. It did sort of have to do with Van's wife. It was because Van could very possibly be having doubts about his marriage to Tiffany. Dr. D knew that he couldn't blame Van for that. It had to be a hard time that he was going through. "What sort of problem would you be having with Fiona there?" he asked although he felt that he knew the answers.

"Everything! I am having thoughts I shouldn't be having since I am married and I am doing things that I know for a fact that I shouldn't be doing since I am married," Van growled out finding the constant migraine he had been having suddenly come back.

"Sounds to me like you are still in love with Fiona. It is no surprise considering how in love the two of you were back then. It would be hard to let go of such feelings," Dr. D said in a wise tone of voice. "Besides, you two make a much better couple than you and Tiffany," he said in a funny voice trying to joke around while also telling the truth.

Van was growing irritated. Dr. D was only telling him what Irvine was constantly telling him. "No! I can't be in love with Fiona still. I put those feelings behind me a long time ago!" he yelled out of irritation. He felt this feeling deep inside of himself when he said that that told him that he was only lying to himself.

"Van you and I both know that this is a serious matter to deal with. You will have to make a choice on what you are going to do about all of this. It may hurt one of them but it will hurt both of them more if you don't attempt to solve it. This is also something you have to decide about, I can only give advice and my own opinion," Dr. D said taking a seat in a chair with a comfortable sigh.

'How can I possibly decide upon this sort of decision?' Van asked himself. "How can I decide upon something like this?" Van asked his thoughts out loud hoping that Dr. D would be able to give him answer to at least this.

"All you need to do is follow your heart and do what you feel is right. Be careful though. The right thing for the wrong reason could be a bad thing. Like just staying with Tiffany because the two of you are married. If there is no love then everything will fail either way and you will end up alone in the end," Dr. D said seriously.

Van knew that he was right. He knew if he would make a decision that he would have to know what he truly wants and what he could see happening in the future with his choice.

* * *

Van came home rather late that night. He was completely exhausted and if it was even more possible, even more confused then when he went to go see Dr. D earlier in the day. He had no idea what sort of decision he was going to be making. His thoughts were mixed with the conflict he was having over the two most important women in his life. 

Almost as soon as he stepped out of his car, something caught his eyes. It was a figure that was sitting along the beach. He knew that it was Fiona but he didn't know what she was doing out there at that time in the night.

Van looked at the watch that was on his hand. He saw that the time was actually very close to eleven thirty at night. He was curious as to why Fiona could possibility be out at this time of night. He doubted that it was just to look at the stars so he felt like he just had to find out.

Van walked slowly so as to not scare her by coming up to her a little fast. When he was only about three or four feet away from Fiona, he came to a stop and just stared at her as the moonlight reflected off of her figure. "What's up Fiona?" Van asked softly looking up in the direction that she was looking.

Fiona just smiled a little but didn't bother looking at Van immediately. "Nothing really. I am just thinking, that is all," Fiona said finally looking at Van with that small smile still on her face. Despite all that had happened to her, she still had that constant look of serenity upon her face.

Van noticed that Fiona appeared to be deep in thought about something at that moment. He decided to just let it slide and asked her a simple question. "Do you mind if I join you?" he asked indicating a spot next to her.

Fiona just shrugged her shoulders. In reality she was very happy that Van did what he did. Ever since their kiss the previous night, she found it hard to sleep and stayed up most of the night contemplating all that had been going on between the two of them. It was all something that she just couldn't understand.

Fiona finally looked away from the stars and turned towards Van with a calm look on her face. "Van, may I ask you a question?" she asked looking at him with her beautiful crimson orbs. Van's nod was her signal to continue. "What is it that is going on between the two of us? What is it that we have?" she asked in shaky tone showing her nervousness.

Van was a bit taken back by her question but he too had that thought in mind. "I really don't know Fiona. I have gone through that exact same question so many times trying to come up with some sort of answer to all the times that we kissed. Every time I try though, I always come up with the exact same unknown conclusion," Van said shaking his head with a sigh.

Van looked at Fiona after he explained his thoughts to her but what he saw made him worry. She was nervous. She kept fidgeting every once in a while. "What's wrong Fiona? You look a little nervous," Van stated placing a comfortable hand upon her shoulder.

"I am scared Van," she said with a slight crack within her recently calm voice. "I know that it is wrong for me to be saying this and I keep trying to tell myself that I can't but it never works. I am still in love with you Van!" Fiona shouted out the last part before she suddenly burst into tears.

Out of all her thinking about them within the last few days, that was the only thing that she had no doubts about. She wished to not be, but she couldn't. She loved him so deeply in the past and even though she did get engaged to someone else, she knew that she never really got over that love that she held for Van.

Van was shocked by her sudden confession yet at the same time it didn't surprise him at all. All the same, he found himself unable to respond. His mind and heart were telling him that he needed to say what he knew she needed to hear. She looked so distraught at herself and it hurt him to see her that way.

A thought appeared within his head the next second. Everything suddenly seemed so clear to him with that thought. It was a thought that was so wrong, yet so right at the same time. It was something that he knew he could no longer deny to himself or to Fiona. He lightly placed his hand upon her shoulder again and she turned to him with her sad eyes. "I... still love you too Fiona," he whispered before leaning his head down and taking her lips with his own.

Little hesitation was in this kiss unlike the last three that they had. They were sure of what they wanted this time. They showed it through the passion behind their kiss as their tongues battled for dominance within their mouths. Each was too wrapped up in the feel of the other lips that they had no care for their other problems.

They separated from each other and just stared into the others eyes. When Van stared into Fiona's eyes he saw something that frightened him and also made him feel good. It was the same look that he had seen in his dream. He didn't know if it meant anything though.

Fiona's eyes held resolve within them. She knew what she wanted. She wanted Van. Even if it was only for that one night she wanted to know what it felt like to be truly loved by him. To know what her mother forced away from her for so many years. She loved him and she knew that she wouldn't regret it if they did it.

"Van, I know that this is wrong of me to be asking you this but let me stay with you tonight. Please show me what it means to be truly loved," Fiona said scaring herself that she was able to be that forward with her feelings for him.

Van's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "W-w-what?" he asked slightly scared. "W-what about all that you have worked to keep Fiona. Why do you want to waste that all now?" he asked but deep inside of him, he knew that he wanted the same thing as Fiona. He just wasn't sure why she would give up something like her virginity so easily to him now when she worked hard to keep it for so many years, to save herself for marriage.

"I don't care anymore. I love you and I want you and only you to be my first. I know that if I don't do this that I will regret it. I don't care if it only has to be for one night. That is all that I want. If that is what it takes then you can just go back to your wife afterwards and I won't complain even the slightest," Fiona said with love flowing through every word that she said to Van.

Fiona realized the biggest difference between Van and Ethan. If she had said this exact same thing to Ethan, he would have immediately agreed to do that sort of thing. Van on the other hand thought only about what she wanted and was trying to persuade her otherwise. He never wanted to put her in a situation that she would end up regretting. She knew that she would never regret this happening later on though.

Van looked deep within Fiona's eyes for any sort of hesitation. He found none. There was only love and want within her eyes. "You do know what you are asking Fiona?" he asked just to make sure and he received a nod.

"I can wish for nothing more than tha..." Fiona said but she was unable to finish her sentence before Van's lips laid claim to hers. She was quick to respond to the kiss and deepened it even further.

They broke it a moment later and just stared at each other with the same love and need within their eyes. Van knew that he wanted the same thing as Fiona. There would be one difference between what he wanted and what she wanted. He carefully picked Fiona up and walked to the house.

* * *

Van just lay there long after Fiona had fallen asleep. He never thought that they would end up doing what they just did after their break up so many years before. Yet here he was, with Fiona right beside him, after a night of passion filled lovemaking. He kept thinking that it was only a dream and that any moment he would wake up and be disappointed that it wasn't. Yet here he was still lying there with Fiona by his side. He wanted to keep it that way. 

Van now had to do the hardest thing that he ever had to do in his life. Fiona wanted this to be only a one-night thing if that was what he wanted but he didn't think he had it in him any more to keep it that way.

Carefully untangling himself From Fiona so as to not wake her up, Van crawled out of his bed and walked out of the room so he could do what he needed to do without disturbing Fiona.

He grabbed his cell-phone and turned it on before slowly dialing a number. He knew that it was late but he also knew that the person he was calling was still up because she was always up at this time of the night.

The phone rang a few times before his wife picked it up not sounding the least bit tired. "Hello?" she asked sounding a little bit angry because she must know that it was him through caller id.

Van was hesitant to speak at first but found his voice. "Hello Tiffany. I am sorry to call you this late at night but we really need to talk about something," he said and when he didn't hear anything on the other end, he knew that he had her full attention. "Listen, I am sorry to say this but this marriage really isn't working out anymore," he said and waited for the yelling he knew was going to ensue.

"What? What do you mean that our marriage is not going to work? I spent years of my life on this marriage and I am not just going to give it up!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. She was seriously pissed at having Van say something like that. She thought that he would surely remain with her yet here he was destroying their marriage.

"I'm sorry but I just don't think that I can keep going with this marriage. Look, I am sorry about this but my choice is finally," he said before hanging up the phone before she had any sort of chance to yell and argue with him any longer.

Van sighed as he leaned back in his seat. He felt bad for doing what he did but he wanted Fiona by his side and he had to do that if he was going to get what he wanted most. Now he knew that he could live the rest of his life happily with her like he had dreamed while they were still going out.

Van walked back into the room quietly and crawled back into the bed already missing the arms that were awaiting him even if it had been only a few minutes since he had gotten up. It was just a feeling that he knew he needed to have more than anything at that moment.

"Where'd you go Van?" Fiona mumbled in a sleepy voice as her arms wrapped around his waist and her head rested itself upon his chest. That was something that Tiffany never really did with him. She never really held him like this any night or anytime for that matter.

"I just had some unfinished business to do Fiona. Go back to sleep," he said kissing the top of her head before also being pulled into sleep not too long after while reveling in the wonderful feeling he had when he held Fiona within his arms. He could probably say that it was the best sleep he had ever had in his life.

* * *

There is a lemon for this chapter that can be found on the website: adultfan. nexcess. net/ aff. all that you have to do is remove all of the spaces from the web address. 


	11. a new start

Once again there is a lemon in this chapter that can be found on www. adultfanfiction. net all that you have to do is remove the spaces as usually. There will probably be a lot more lemons in the future.

* * *

Van woke up the next morning feeling better than he had ever felt in a long time. He felt Fiona and saw that she was still asleep with her eyes closed and a smile on her face. Van smiled as images of the previous night came into his head. He couldn't believe that that actually happened between the two of them, but here he was the next morning and it actually did happen.

Van heard Fiona moan a little and he knew that she too was waking up as well. The way he woke up was great. He was able to wake up to having this beautiful woman wrapped in his arms. He knew that it would be just as good for her.

Fiona's eyes slowly opened only to meet Van's loving eyes and his smile that was meant only for her. She smiled too while leaning her head back onto his chest with a contented sigh. "Good morning," she said dreamily.

She didn't want to get out of that bed for the rest of the day. Getting out of the bed would mean that they would have to go back to their normal lives. Her back to being alone and Van back to his wife. She didn't want to even think about something like that but it was a problem that was on her mind.

"Good morning to you too. How did you sleep last night?" he asked kissing the top of her head. He wanted to tell Fiona right then about what he had done the night before but he decided that he would wait a little while and tell her when he felt that the time was right.

"Better than I have in a long time," she said smiling before closing her eyes once again. She wanted to sleep the day away with Van by her side but she knew that he had to go to work. That upset her greatly. "Don't you have work Van?" Fiona asked sadly.

"Irvine and I both have a few days vacation time. So I don't have to go to work for a few days. Staying right here sounds like a much better place to be anyways," he said tightening his hold around Fiona. "How about some breakfast Fiona? I will go make it and you can wait here," he said with a smile as he reluctantly pulled himself away from Fiona to stand up. She wasn't making it easy though.

Fiona felt like if she let go that he would once again leave to be with his wife. She said the night before that if they did what they did that he could go back to his wife and she wouldn't complain. She didn't know if she had it in her anymore to pull herself apart from Van. "How about we just stay in bed? I don't mind not eating breakfast," she said trying to pull him back down to the bed.

"How about this, we eat breakfast in bed," Van said with a smile. He knew that she didn't want him to go because she was afraid he would just go back to his wife. "Don't worry though. I am not going anywhere besides the kitchen," he said trying to reassure her. "Just try to relax while I whip us up something to eat," he said before letting go and walking towards the kitchen.

Fiona just sighed and laid back upon the bed. He had been gone for a few seconds and she was already missing the feel of his arms around her. She wanted that feeling back and soon. 'Probably will be a while,' she thought standing up and heading into the bathroom in order to take a nice relaxing shower to sooth her sore muscles.

* * *

Van walked down the halls of the house with a content look on his face. Almost as soon as he reached the bottom of the stairs, he heard the phone ringing. He knew it couldn't be his wife because she would call his cell since she didn't know he was here. 

Van walked over to the phone and picked it up without a second thought. "Hello?" he asked after putting the phone to his ear. The voice on the other line he recognized and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hey there Van. I was just calling to make sure that our plans for tonight were still on. Moonbay has been going on about it for the last week so I figured that I should remind you because you probably forgot with all that has been going on the past few days," Irvine said through the phone in a serious voice.

"Tonight?" Van asked more to himself rather than Irvine trying to recall what it was that they had planned. Then it suddenly hit him like a ton of bricks. He felt like beating himself up for forgetting such an important day. He agreed with Irvine though, it was because of the last few days that he forgot. Things were just so hectic. "Yeah, we are. I will bring Fiona there about nine. Just make sure that you are ready," Van said with a grin.

Fiona had no idea what they were planning. For all he knew, she probably also forgot what today was. They planned it a few weeks back before Fiona had the trouble with her ex-fiancé, and Van with his wife. They weren't planning to stop their plans just because of them though. They actually thought it would do he some good.

"Alright then. The same can be said for you. Just make sure that you aren't late, be there at nine," Irvine said before hanging up the phone. A loud beeping was all the indication that Van needed to know that Irvine hung up before he too hung his end of the phone up.

Van was about to start his trek to the kitchen to make breakfast when another sound caught his ear. He listened carefully as he tried to make out what it was. It wasn't long before he realized that it was the sound of the shower running meaning that Fiona was taking a shower.

Van smiled and started to walk again before he stopped once more with a broad smile. The events of last night after him and Fiona having sex came to him. He was a free man once again. That meant that he was free to do what he wanted, or more in his case, who he wanted.

Van grinned before running back down the halls towards the bathroom that Fiona was using. He was yearning to be back within her arms and he knew that this would be the best time for that.

* * *

Fiona placed her head under the nice warm water that she had started with a pleasured moan. The hot water was doing wonders to her sore body and she was enjoying every moment in it. 

This gave her a little time to think. 'Last night was probably the best night of my life. I wish that I could have more of those with Van but that might not be possible. I said that it only had to be a one-night thing, which is probably the only reason that Van did what he did. I know he loves me but probably not enough to leave his wife," she thought sadly.

Fiona suddenly gave a slight jump when she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her waist but calmed down a little when she realized that it was only Van. She leaned into his embrace as he placed a light kiss on the back of her neck while also stepping under the water at the same time.

"Hey there Fiona," he whispered into her ear making her shudder. She was glad that he had his arms wrapped around her waist because she wasn't sure if she would be able to stand on them if he let go of her. His warm hands were resting against her stomach and he had no intention of letting go anytime soon.

Van hands started to roam a little as they reached for different part of her body. Fiona moaned in pleasure at the feel of his hands as they came up and cupped her breast. She turned her head slightly and the two of them had the same idea since their lips came crashing together in passion.

* * *

Fiona came out of the bathroom with a robe on her body and a smile on her face. Van followed close behind her. He noticed how happy she looked now compared to a few days ago. He was happy that he could do something like to her. He hated to see her sad, it just broke his heart. To see her happy meant the world to him. 

"I am hungry now," Fiona said as her stomach grumbled. She laughed a true laugh and that caused Van to laugh as well. She could here his stomach grumble as well and it just made her laugh more.

"I am also. Why don't we go down and get some breakfast?" Van asked turning to her. He saw her looking for some clothes and grinned. He walked over and grabbed her hand before pulling her away. "Just wear that. It looks good on you anyways," he said making Fiona blush slightly. Van himself was only wearing a pair of shorts and no shirt.

Van dragged Fiona down into the kitchen with a smile on his face. Fiona just kept up with him step by step. She clutched his hand tighter and rested her head upon his shoulder. She was so content that she felt like nothing could possibly spoil her mood. She had a hope that Van and her would be together for real some day without his wife in the way.

"By the way Fiona. Irvine, Moonbay, and I and heading out later for some fun and you are going to come with us. I won't accept no for an answer," he said turning his head to look at her. She had a look on her face that said she had no intention of disagreeing with him.

"I think that it sounds nice. It has been a really long time since the four of us could get out together like that. It would also be nice just to stay here with you for the rest of the night," Fiona said turning her head so they had eye contact and she smiled her beautiful smile to him.

"Well were going then but what you said sounds nice also. We will have to keep that in mind for when we get back home," Van said giving Fiona a seductive look in his face. Van was tempted to just take her tight then but thought against it because he was starving and he was sure that Fiona was the exact same way. "So what do you want Fiona? Pancakes, waffles, or eggs?" he asked releasing her hand while she sat down in a chair and he walked over to the fridge.

"Pancakes sounds fine to me," she said laying her head down on the table and in her arms. She watched happily as Van moved across the kitchen collecting the things that he needed to make their breakfast.

'Van looks so content. Yet I feel kind of bad. By being with me, he cheated on his wife. It will probably ruin their marriage if she was to ever find out,' Fiona thought as a frown appeared on her previously happy face. "Van, I'm sorry," Fiona muttered quietly but she knew that Van heard because he stopped and turned to her.

"For what Fiona? I don't remember you doing anything that you should be sorry about. Are you maybe regretting what we did?" he asked but his question made Fiona shake her head wildly. "Then what are you sorry for?" he asked sitting down right net to her.

"It's your wife Van. I may have gotten what I want but she will be hurt if she found out you cheated on her for me. I know she doesn't exactly like me," Fiona said sadly leaning her head into her hands.

Van didn't say anything to Fiona. He wanted to tell her what he did but he didn't want to do it now. He wanted to wait and tell her later that night when they met up with Irvine and Moonbay. He pulled his chair up next to her and wrapped his arms around her shoulder. "Don't worry about it," he said putting on a smile.

Fiona didn't know why Van didn't seem worried about his wife finding out about this. She decided not to pursue the subject and just closed her eyes and leaned into his warm embrace. It did bring a lot of question into her head however. Ones that she wanted answered some day.

"Besides, I don't want to worry about something like that today. Until we go and meet up with Irvine and Moonbay, it will be just the two of us and I don't want anything getting in the way of that," he said kissing her forehead before standing up and striding across the kitchen to finish their breakfast.

* * *

A knock on the door to the house came early than either of them expected since it was only about five and Irvine and Moonbay weren't expected to come there. They were supposed to meet at the specified location. 

Fiona opened the door and was surprised to see Moonbay standing there alone with a smirk on her face. "Hey there Fiona. I was just wondering if you might want to go shopping with me for tonight?" Moonbay immediately asked before Fiona could even get a word out of her mouth.

"Um… nice to see you too Moonbay," Fiona said with a light chuckle. She was alone in the house right then because Van was out with Irvine setting something up. He refused to tell her what it was about though and she got really frustrated. She thought he said they were going to spend the day together.

Moonbay knew exactly what Irvine and Van were up to but she wasn't saying anything to Fiona about it. She would have to learn when the time came for that. "So are we going to go shopping or what?" Moonbay said getting back on track with her original question.

"What for? We aren't going anywhere fancy are we?" Fiona asked since Van had also decided to answer that question of her either. Fiona knew they were keeping something from her and she was hoping that Moonbay would be able to tell her what it was.

"No, but does that mean that two old friends can't just go shopping with each other? Besides, although we aren't going anywhere fancy doesn't mean that we can't look nice for it and some have something new to wear," Moonbay said being very carefully of what she was saying to Fiona.

Fiona groaned, she knew that Moonbay too was trying to keep things from her and she was starting to get a bit annoyed by it. "I guess. Just let me go and get changed real quick," Fiona said before walking to her room.

Moonbay was completely unaware of the turn in the relationship of her two friends. She had something planned though. She intended to make Fiona look so good that Van would be drooling over her all night. She wanted Tiffany gone and for Van and Fiona to be together.

* * *

Irvine and Van were walking down a street filled with several stores looking for something. Very few things were said between them because most of their attention was turned towards looking at things but they did get some conversation in. 

Irvine noticed something about Van though. He seemed too picky about what he was looking for. He also seemed a lot happier than he had been in a long time. He wasn't sure but he had this gut instinct that something had happened to him that helped him in a really good way. "What's with you today?" Irvine asked.

"It's nothing," Van said with a small smile. He wasn't going to tell Irvine or Moonbay anything about what was happening between his wife and him, or him and Fiona. He wouldn't tell anyone until he spoke with Fiona about it, which he planned to do that night.

The way that Van was acting was really creeping Irvine out. He was acting a lot more like he used to when he was still in high school. Most of the time it was only because he was around Fiona. That made Irvine start to wonder if something had happened between the two of them again. "So tell me, how is Fiona doing?" Irvine asked turning his attention ahead of him once again.

"She is doing a lot better than she was when she first came to me that night when that bastard beat her up," Van stated with his fists clenching. He wanted to beat the shit out of that guy. 'Then again, she seemed at her best today because of last night,' Van thought with a smirk.

Van was looking towards his feet while he said that with a smile on his face. However, when he looked up the smile immediately faded from his face and was replaced by a nervous one. The cause of it was standing about ten feet away. It was his wife and luckily she had yet to see them.

"I… uh… have to go Irvine, I will meet up with you and Moonbay at the club," Van said before turning around and sprinting as fast as he could in the other direction. He knew his wife wouldn't be happy at him for what he did the previous night. She would probably try to tear his head off.

Unfortunately for Van, he wasn't fast enough. He was only able to move about ten feet before his wife finally turned around and noticed him. A look of anger crossed her face upon seeing the man that had so suddenly decided to get a divorce from her. She was pretty sure it had to do with Fiona. "Get back here Van!" she yelled starting to run after him.

Irvine was quick in figuring out why Van ran off. He didn't want to see his wife. Before Tiffany could get past him, Irvine stepped right in her path. He saw the scowl on her face and felt like laughing. He figured that it was for the best with Van and Fiona relationship anyways.

"Move out of my way! I am going to get him for what he did!" she yelled attracting the attention of many people around them. She just saw the smirk on his face and knew that he wasn't planning on it. Tiffany brought her foot up and brought it down hard upon Irvine's foot.

Irvine was jumping around clutching his foot and was unable to stop her as she ran past him in an attempt to get to Van. He knew that it was too late though. Van was already long gone and he was almost sure that their relationship was doing the exact same as Van.

* * *

Van ran and ran until he was sure that Tiffany was no longer anywhere near him. He went in several different directions and he actually saw her run in a completely different direction before he backtracked back to where he last saw Irvine. 

The problem was that Irvine was no longer there. Van just sighed. He could understand that Irvine wouldn't wait. He was lucky that his office was nearby because he had an extra car there since the two of them had taken Irvine's car to get there in the first place.

"Hopefully the next time I run into her, she would have had a lot of time to calm down. Hopefully Fiona won't have any run-ins with her either because will probably go after Fiona more than me," he muttered to himself as he entered the building and headed to the garage where he grabbed the spare car.

Van knew that Irvine would be asking questions about the incident when Van and Fiona went meet up with them later in the day. He didn't want to face him right then. They would find out but it wouldn't be right away.

Van drove in silence back to his home. He missed Fiona more than he could imagine and it had only been about an hour or two since he had seen her. He knew that after last night, that he wouldn't be able to live his life without her by his side. 'I wouldn't have it any other way though,' he thought with a small smile.

Van then looked down at his watch and mentally cursed. It was already seven thirty and he had to meet Irvine at nine. It wouldn't be as bad if he didn't have to stop somewhere and then make the drive back to his place. He then had to take a shower since he didn't get much of one this morning with Fiona in it with him.

He sped the car up a little and drove down the road for a few minutes until he came across the place that he was looking for. He jumped out of the car and ran into the small store. He came out only about five minutes later and then sped off very quickly so that he could get home.

* * *

Fiona fell onto her bed with a small sigh and just laid there staring up at the ceiling as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. Moonbay had dragged her all over the city looking for the things to wear tonight for the both of them. 

Although Moonbay didn't say anything, Fiona could just tell that she was trying to make Fiona look great that night to try and impress Van. Fiona didn't bother arguing with her however and allowed herself to be dragged from store to store. She had a really good time though.

Fiona looked over towards her closet where she saw this red dress hanging up upon the door. It was nice yet casual dress, which was just perfect for what Van had been talking to her about earlier. It only went up to her knees and was also sleeveless. She wondered what Van would say about it though.

All that Fiona had to do was get dressed and she would be ready to go. Van had always told her that she was beautiful without all of the makeup that some women liked to put on in globs all over their face. She had received that sort of complement from a lot of people.

The problem with Ethan was that he was always trying to convince her to put on more. She never listened when he said that. She always stuck to a bare minimum when she wanted to look extra nice but not overdone. She knew of the things that Van liked. So she only put on a little bit of lipstick on for that night.

Fiona could hear the sounds of the door opening and smiled since she knew that Van was home. She wanted to see his expression when he saw the way that she looked since Moonbay seemed to like taking a lot of guesses at how he would act upon seeing her that night. Each was funnier than the last.

There was small knock on her door the next moment. "Yes?" Fiona asked with a small smile. She didn't want him to see her just yet. She would just wait until they were about to leave.

"I just wanted to tell you that I was home and that as soon as I take a shower and get dressed that we will be leaving so I hope you will be ready by then," Van said through the door. He was tempted to just go in there but he knew that the two of them would end up being late if he did. So he just sucked it up and stayed outside the door for the time being.

"Ok Van. I am almost ready as it is anyways," she replied in a happy tone but she was slightly upset that he didn't try to come in. "By the way, what time are we supposed be there?" Fiona asked because she couldn't remember what he said earlier that day.

When Van was gone, Fiona walked over to her closet and grabbed the new dress and put it on because she knew that Van wouldn't be long since he got home a little late that night.

Fiona was ready by the time that Van was out of the shower but she just waited for him to be ready before she came out. She didn't know why but she felt like something important was supposed to happen that night but she couldn't really place what it was supposed to be. Van must know since he was doing this.

It was only a few minutes after Van got out of the shower that there was another knock upon her door. "Come in," Fiona said with a small smile while placing on her shoes. She looked up and saw the door to the room open.

"We should really get going Fiona," Van said walking into her room but he stopped when he laid his eyes on Fiona. She looked absolutely stunning the way she was dressed. He was glad that she didn't wear much makeup because it would only ruin her own natural beauty instead of the artificial beauty that makeup creates. His ex-wife was almost putting way too much of it. He wondered how she was able to stand under the weight of it.

"Well, what do you think?" She asked turning in a circle so that he could have a good look at the dress. No sooner had she finished that she was wrapped in Van's arms and his lips came crashing down upon hers. It took her by surprise at first but she got into it quickly.

Van picked her up and started to walk over to her bed completely forgetting that they had somewhere to be. He was just so into her and her beauty that he was becoming an addict to it. He was becoming so dependent upon it.

Fiona realized that they had somewhere to go but she couldn't seem to form the words needed to tell Van that. She wanted what he was giving her, but she also knew that Irvine and Moonbay wouldn't be happy if the two of them were late. Very reluctantly, Fiona lightly pushed Van away. "We do have somewhere to be," she said being a little short on breath.

Van mentally cursed to himself at having their time interrupted but he knew that Fiona was right. He let off a small sigh. "Fine," He said getting up and taking Fiona with him into his arms. He just held her like that for a few moments before letting go yet still having a hold of her hand. "Come on," he said lightly pulling her out of the door.

* * *

"What the hell is taking the two of them so long?" Irvine asked in a frustrated voice as he looked in every direction trying to find his friends. "Why are they so late?" he asked looking at his watch. He saw that they were already fifteen minutes late and he was growing frustrated. 

Moonbay had a smirk on her face. "Maybe Van got a good look at Fiona and they are getting it right now," she said with chuckling a little. She looked and saw Irvine's confused face and smiled. "I took her shopping earlier today and I got her something that would probably drive Van wild with desire," she said before laughing again.

Irvine couldn't help but chuckle a bit as well. "We can only hope," he said managing to stop his laughing. He suddenly remembered the events of earlier that day and grew serious. "Moonbay, you won't believe what happened earlier today," he said in a slight whisper.

Moonbay heard the seriousness in his voice and wondered what had happened to make him this way. "Did something bad happen?" she asked but she only received a no from Irvine. "Then what happened earlier today?" she asked with a lot of curiosity.

"When I was out with Van earlier today, we ran into his wife," he said and noticed Moonbay slightly flinch at the mention of that woman. "The thing I find weird about it is that Van ran off just before she spotted her like she would be really angry about something. He must know of something that I don't because as soon as she spotted him running off she chased after him like a dog after meat. That woman was pissed about something," Irvine said still wracking his brain for some sort of answer.

"She was mad but I don't think she could have been that mad that he went off for a while," Moonbay said remembering that Irvine told her about Tiffany's trip to their office a few days before. She was told that Van took it calmly, yet by the way Irvine was talking now. He was almost afraid of running into his wife. "Something's happened that Van is refusing to tell us about," Moonbay said in a curious tone.

"We will just have to find out tonight what is going on between Van and that woman," Irvine said in a serious yet kind of playful tone at the thoughts of what he could do to get the information out of Van.

"Irvine! Moonbay!" came Van's voice from not far off as him and Fiona came running towards them from where the parking lot was. It didn't take the two of them long to notice that Van and Fiona's hand was clasped together tightly. "Sorry we're late," Van said coming to a stop in front of them and reluctantly letting go of Fiona's hand.

"You are nearly twenty minutes late Van! So you had better have a good explanation for it!" Irvine yelled but calmed down a little figuring it would do them no good to argue out here. He didn't really feel like arguing because he only wanted to have a good time that night.

They were already drawing attention to themselves. It wasn't just because of what Irvine did but because a lot of people knew about them and must have been surprised to see them there of all places. It was nothing new though. Even before Van took over the company, they received a lot of attention from people who happened to know their parents. Their parents were just as well known back then as Van and Irvine are now. That was how Van and Irvine got started in the company anyways.

"Sorry about that," Van said with a small chuckle. "We got held up for a bit on the way out," he said but didn't go into any details on what had happened exactly. He looked at Moonbay and he almost thought that she already knew by the smirk that was on her face. It wasn't just what happened, they were running really late as it was.

"Whatever, lets just go in because it is starting to get cold out here," Irvine said before turning around and walking towards the door. They were almost immediately let in despite the lines because the people here knew them well because they had been coming here for years to have fun.

Fiona looked around the inside. The inside was packed with people. Van and Irvine may have been huge businessmen but they were still young. Van, Irvine, and Moonbay were twenty-six, while Fiona was only twenty-five. She always hated being the baby of the group but it was something that couldn't be helped.

"Come on, there is an open table over there," Moonbay pointed out already walking in that direction with the other three following closely behind her. She sat down at the table with Fiona across from her but the guys didn't sit down just yet. "What's up?" she asked.

"We will be back in a second. We have to take care of something," Irvine said but didn't go into more because he knew that Moonbay already understood what he meant. Van and Irvine walked over after he said that.

Moonbay and Fiona were left all alone after that. Moonbay took a look at Fiona and noticed something that she hadn't earlier. She knew it was there but she didn't even realize it then. "What's with you today Fiona? You have a radiant look to you today that I haven't seen before," Moonbay with quirking an eyebrow.

"I do?" Fiona asked with a smile. She knew that she did but she didn't want to say anything about it. It was thought of her and Van that made her the way she was acting today. She just couldn't get the thought out of her mind of their night together and it made her happy that they could share it together.

Moonbay became confused after that. 'Something is definitely up. As soon as I mention it she seems to become even more radiant than before,' Moonbay thought suspiciously. She wondered if it had any connection to what Irvine had mentioned to her before Van and Fiona had shown up.

Fiona just sat there staring off into the large group of people that were around them. She enjoyed Moonbay's company but it wasn't quite the same as when she was with Van. She was already wishing that he was there.

Suddenly, a pair of hands that she immediately recognized as Van covered Fiona's eyes. "Guess who?" a voice whispered into her ear but she just chuckled a little while shaking her head.

"Funny Van," she said and she heard him chuckle before pulling his hands away from her eyes. She gasped when she saw that there was something in front of her. It was a cake and in red icing, it said 'Happy Birthday Fiona'. Fiona thought for a second before it suddenly struck her. "That's right! It is my birthday! How could I have forgotten," she said making the other occupants at the table laugh a little.

"Van planned this a few weeks ago when he remembered that your birthday was approaching. What happened to you made him more determined to have this continue because he thought you needed something good happen to cheer you up," Irvine explained with a smile on his face. He decided not to mention that Van had nearly forgotten about it that morning as well. The rest of it was true though.

'Last night cheered me up enough but it was really sweet of him to do this for me,' Fiona thought with a smile. "Thank you Van," she said giving him a heartwarming smile that made him smile in return.

"Anytime. Seeing you so depressed made me sad. I only wanted to see you happy," Van said from his set next to her. To see her happy meant everything to him, that was why he became more determined to make her happy after her problem. He became so into trying to make her that he forgot what he originally planned to do to make her happy.

Van could hear a slow song start to play in the background and knew that now was a good time to talk to her about the decision that he decided to make last night. "Fiona, do you want to dance?" he asked standing up and holding out his hand for her.

Fiona stared at his hand for a second before smiling and taking his hand. He lifted her to her feet and they walked towards the dance floor. When they reached the dance floor Fiona immediately wrapped her arms around Van and slowly swayed her body to the music that was playing.

Despite how nice it felt dancing in his arms, Fiona could hear people around them talking. "Isn't that Van Flyheight? What's a rich guy like that doing here? Doesn't he have a wife though? I saw her once and I am sure that that woman is not her," she heard some guy say off in the distance and her mood plummeted a little.

"Ignore them Fiona," Van whispered into her ear and she cheered up almost immediately. Um… Fiona? There is something that I have been meaning to talk to you about all day and I figure that now is the best time to talk," Van said as he saw Fiona look up at him with curious eyes.

Fiona somehow guessed that it had to do with his wife because of what those guys had said a few moments before. She knew all good things had to come to an end but she didn't want this to come to an end. She wanted it to continue on forever. She did tell him that last night only had to be a one-night thing and then he could go back to his wife if he wanted to. "I guess all good things had to come to an end sometime," Fiona said with a fake laugh but it didn't stop the small tear that came rolling down her face.

Van was confused for a second but everything seemed to come into place. 'She thinks I am trying to end this to go back to Tiffany. Not a chance!' he thought a little amused. He knew what Fiona had said the previous night but he was not planning on ending this any time soon.

Van reached up and carefully wiped the tear that was falling down her face. He hooked his finger under her chin and lifted it up so he could look into her tear filled eyes. She had a smile on but he knew that it was a fake one. He then brought his lips down and ignoring all of the stares that he was getting, he brought their lips together.

Moonbay and Irvine were talking with each other and were barely paying attention to what was going on around them. They only seemed to notice that people seemed to have gotten very quiet.

"I wonder what is going on," Moonbay said looking around trying to find what everyone was staring at. Her eyes widened a little when she saw what Van and Fiona were doing. "Hey Irvine, correct me if I am wrong, but I don't think that Van is supposed to be doing that," Moonbay said pointing towards Van and Fiona.

Irvine just smirked a little. "Somehow I get the feeling that Van's marriage is going to be coming to an end soon. Whether it be by Van himself, or his wife finding out about his and Fiona's relationship," Irvine said with a smile. He wondered if maybe this had something to do with Tiffany's attitude earlier that day.

Van broke this kiss and continued to ignore the stares, which eventually dissipated leaving the two of them alone for a little. He knew that this was his chance to talk to Fiona about what had been on his mind all day.

"There is something that I wanted to talk to you about before anyone else. Fiona, I love you with everything that I am. I had to make a decision though. One that dealt with you and Tiffany," he said and saw her eyes sadden a little. "I am getting a divorce Fiona. I want to only be with you," he said and smiled when he saw her head shoot up.

Confusion, fear, happiness; these were just some of the emotions that Fiona was feeling when Van told her about his decision. She wasn't sure if she should be happy or sad that she ruined someone else's marriage with her actions from the previous night.

Van saw all the conflicting emotions and just instinctively knew what it was she was thinking about even before she managed to say them. "Before you say anything Fiona. This was my decision. It was not based solely upon what happened last night but many things that have been happening up till then. Last night just sealed in the thought of something that was in my mind for a while, probably even before you returned even if I didn't give it much thought back then," he said with a small laugh.

Van's word reassured Fiona a little but she still felt a little bad. She was also happier than she had ever been in her life. Her dreams were once again able to come true and her and Van could be together without worrying about anyone finding out.

Fiona's hold around Van tightened a little and that reassured him that she was now happy with his decision. "I guess that I don't have to ask this because I know the answer but I want to hear it from you. Will you take me back Fiona? You were the one that broke up with me so it is your decision," he said but more as if that was just a joke or a bad dream from back then.

Fiona giggled a little. "Of course I will Van. That is all I want right now. To be with you is probably one of the greatest things that can ever happen to me," she said laying her head upon his chest as they continued their dance. It was like no one was around them and they could just dance on forever.

"It is just so sweet. The two of them are off in their own world like there is nothing that can keep them apart. I hope they will be happy together at some point," Moonbay said with a bright smile as she watched her best friends dance.

"Dreams can come true. I am living proof of that," Irvine said looking at Moonbay slightly but he also caught glimpses of something else. "Then again, so can nightmares. Come one," he said grabbing Moonbay's hand and dragging her towards the dance floor.

Van held onto Fiona with everything that he had. He wished that he would never have to let go for the rest of his life. That is if someone hadn't shoved right between the two of them sending them falling towards the ground. Van looked up and cringed at what he saw.

"So this is why you did it! You did it just so you can be with this bitch!" Tiffany yelled glaring harshly down at Van with unforgiving eyes. "Weren't I enough for you! Weren't I everything you ever wanted?" she continued to yell.

Van tried his best to ignore her. He saw Fiona trying to get off the ground but it looked like she had a small bruise on her knee. Van shook his head and got off the ground only to have Tiffany get into his face. He stared at her for a second before shoving her off to the side and he walked towards Fiona. "Are you alright Fiona?" he asked holding out a hand to help her up.

"I'll be fine. I just hurt my knee a little when I fell," Fiona said taking the hand that Van offered and limped off of the ground. She saw the furious Tiffany and looked sadly at the other woman.

Irvine and Moonbay came running up to the two of them in the next instant and both of them were looking at Amy with some unfriendly looks in their eyes. 'She messed with my friends and me for the last time!' Irvine thought angrily when he saw Van helping an injured Fiona stand.

Tiffany didn't look all that sad with what was happening to her. "How could you do this to me Van?" Tiffany yelled before her eyes landed upon Fiona and they filled with hatred unlike anything anyone had ever seen before. "This is all your fault you bitch!" Tiffany yelled lunging at the already injured Fiona.

Irvine and Moonbay were quick in jumping in. Each grabbed Tiffany and held her back while she continued to lunge at Fiona trying to grab her by the throat. "You will do no such thing to any of them!" Moonbay yelled actually having trouble holding the woman back.

Thankfully, some club security guards came right then and took over where Moonbay and Irvine left off. After a quick apology for the inconvenience, they dragged her of because of how she was disturbing everyone else that was there.

Van held Fiona off of the dance floor and took them back to their seat. He knew that Irvine and Moonbay would want an explanation about this as soon as the two of them joined up with them again. "Sorry about this Fiona. I was hoping to make the night perfect for you," he said checking her knee to see what sort of damage there was.

"It is ok Van. Except for what just happened, this has been the best night of my life. Please don't feel bad about it," Fiona said placing her hand on his cheek. Her knee was already starting to feel better. It was just sore because she had landed on it. It would probably be better by the next day.

"What was that all about Van? Why is she so mad at you today?" Irvine asked stepping forward after having a short talk with the security guards to try and smooth things over so they didn't get in trouble with the club as well.

Van heard Moonbay come up too and knew that she too was expecting some sort of explanation out of him. "I talked to her last night and told her that I wanted to get a divorce," Van said and he could have sworn that he heard both Irvine and Moonbay silently cheering to themselves.

"Finally decided to take my advice huh? I always knew that you had it in you," Irvine said patting Van on the shoulder as if it was his entire fault and he was taking great pride in that.

Van just shrugged off Irvine's pats. "I wasn't going upon what you wanted Irvine. I went by what I wanted. There was something a lot better for me anyways," Van said smiling at Fiona, which she gave him a smile right back.

"Ok whatever. By the way, how is your knee Fiona. I noticed that you seemed to hurt it when she showed up and shoved you out of the way," Irvine said as him and Moonbay now turned their attention towards Fiona.

"It is perfectly fine, just a little sore. All that I need is to sit down for a little and I am sure that it will be just fine," she said with a smile but she noticed that Van seemed a little reluctant in believing her.

"Are you sure Fiona? I can always take you back home so that you can get some rest," Van said but he received a no from Fiona. He knew that she wouldn't, she could be just as stubborn as him a lot of the time. "Ok then, I won't force you to head back," he said with a sigh.

"Hey Van, before we get this party started, I need to have a quick word with you about something important," Irvine said motioning that they needed to talk about it away from the girls.

Fiona watched as Van sighed and stood up before walking off a short distance away so they could talk without being heard by either of them. She smiled at Van; it was just something that she couldn't help. He made her happy in every way even if he didn't intentionally do that.

"Why is it that you seem so radiant today? I just can't place my finger on it," Moonbay said although she had stated it earlier. She just knew that it happened whenever Fiona looked at Van and even when she wasn't looking. A thought then suddenly hit her as to why everything was the way it was today. "You and Van didn't! Did you?" Moonbay asked in an excited voice.

Fiona didn't feel like discussing it but she ended up blushing a deep red and she knew that that was all that Moonbay needed to know that they had done it. It didn't help that she didn't have the ability of speech at the mere mention of it. She could see Moonbay grinning in an amused way.

"You little slut you," Moonbay said. She was just joking around when she said that and she was sure that Fiona knew that she was also. "I didn't know that you had it in you. So how did he convince you to do it with him?" Moonbay asked with a wide grin crossing her face.

Fiona blushed even more if it was possible. "T-to tell the truth, I was actually the one that had to convince him," she said looking down into her lap with the blush still adorning her face.

With those words, Moonbay nearly burst into laughter. She just couldn't picture it being Fiona asking Van to have sex with him. She took a quick look over at Van and laughed when she saw that Irvine currently had him in a headlock as if trying to force something out of him. "Don't worry about it Fiona. You just did what you felt you wanted to do. I am very happy for the two of you. Tell me though, how was it?" Moonbay asked grinning again.

Fiona looked into her lap with her cheeks lightly tinted pink. "You were right Moonbay, it was amazing. He was so gentle with me and never moved faster than he thought I could handle. It just felt so natural to be with him. Nothing ever felt natural when I was with Ethan though. I love Van greatly, and I am glad that I was able to share that part of him with me even if I wasn't sure if we would be together afterwards," Fiona said as the blush slowly receded from her face.

Moonbay just gave Fiona a smile. "Looks like you got something more out of it than you thought. You have regained Van's love and your relationship with him. Not to mention you finally got rid of that bitch. I do not want to see her for the rest of my life!" Moonbay said with a scowl and crossing her arms over her chest.

Fiona giggled at the sight and smiled a true smile. She looked over and saw Van and Irvine walking back to the table and Van was rubbing his throat from where Irvine had him in a headlock. She liked the thought of spending the rest of her life with him. She just hoped that they would remain that way for the rest of their life.


	12. day out

Van carried the sleeping Fiona out of his car. She was very light weight so it wasn't any trouble for him. It actually felt really good to have this small weight on his back. Her head rested against his shoulder as he held and he could feel her calm breaths against his neck.

She had fallen asleep shortly after they had gotten in the car to head home and he couldn't blame her. It was a day that neither of them would remember. She had told him it was the best birthday that she had ever had and he was glad to hear that he could make her that happy.

A small groan was heard on his shoulder and Van looked at Fiona to see those beautiful crimson he loved to look at open up. "We're home Fiona, why don't you just get back to sleep," he said in a soft voice. A thought then came to him. "Where will you be sleeping tonight?" he asked with a smile and small chuckle. He was silently hoping that she would decide to sleep in his bed.

"Where it is that you are Van," was all that she said before leaning her head against his shoulder even more. She was too content in this position to want to move and break the contact that the two of them had. "Is that ok with you?" she asked in a tired voice as her eyes drooped closed.

"If you are happy then I am happy," he said before he heard her breathing evened out a little as she fell back into the slumber that she had only a few moments ago. She looked so peaceful in that state to Van.

Van carefully walked into their home trying to be careful so as to not wake Fiona up. He the house was quiet and all the lights were off so Van was stumbling around with great care trying to find the light switch so he didn't end up tripping and taking Fiona down with him.

He switched on the lights and walked towards his room, or was it their room now, he wasn't sure what Fiona wanted at the moment and he wasn't planning on asking right now since he didn't want to wake her out of her peaceful slumber.

He walked over to the bed and somehow managed to pry Fiona from her tight embrace on his shoulders. He was glad that he didn't wake her up. He heard a small whimper but he just gave her a quick kiss before he left the room for a few moments.

He walked into the kitchen to merely get a glass of water but before he was able to get there, the sound of his cell phone ringing caught his ear and for some reason he knew that this wasn't going to be a very pleasant call. He just seemed to know that it was Tiffany who was calling him.

A quick look at the caller id was all that he needed to know that his assumption was right. She was going to probably yell at him for the incident at the club earlier that night. He didn't really feel like talking to her though.

He immediately turned off his cell phone so that it wouldn't ring anymore and put it on the table. "Note to self, block that number so she can't keep doing this to me anymore. What exactly is it that I saw in her in the first place?" Van asked himself before walking to the kitchen to get his water, and then towards his room where something more pleasant was waiting for him.

He walked into his room and a smile graced his face as he saw Fiona sound asleep on the bed. He stripped down into his normal sleeping attire which was just his boxers and he crawled into the bed next to Fiona. He wrapped his arms around her and allowed sleep to take him.

* * *

Fiona's eyes opened and a bright light shined right into them because of the window that was near the bed. She groaned and turned so that light couldn't shine right into her face. It was then that she felt a pair of arms around her and she smiled remembering what he had told her the previous night. 

Her heart felt better than it had in years. She thought that it was all over for them when they broke up, and then when she learned that he was getting married, she was devastated. Yet last night he had told her that he was planning to get a divorce from his wife so that he could be with her. It made her feel so good to know that she meant that much to him.

Instead of letting go of him to get up, Fiona once again rested her head upon his chest and closed her eyes trying to once again find the peaceful slumber she had while she slept within his arms all night.

Little did Fiona know but Van was already awake and watching her as she slept. He saw her wake up but didn't say a word since he noticed that she fell back asleep almost instantly. He smiled as the arms that were wrapped around Fiona tightened their grip as if she would disappear at any moment.

'This feels so right to have her in my arms. I will do whatever it takes to keep it this way. I lost her once and I do not plan on losing her again,' Van thought with a determined look on his face. Losing her once was hard enough, he would be damned if he allowed it to happen a second time.

An evil idea suddenly came to Van. She looked so peaceful while she was asleep but it was getting rather late in the morning and they did have to wake up soon. He carefully managed to pry himself from her grip and rolled her so that she was on her back.

She seemed to have fallen back asleep quickly because she didn't wake up when he did this. Van started by laying a kiss upon her lips but that didn't seem to wake her up. He kissed down to her chin and then to her neck. He saw her squirm a little but she didn't wake up.

'So she thinks she can ignore this huh?' Van asked himself with a smirk as he brought his hand up and placed it upon her stomach. He brought it up some so that it lay upon her breast. He massaged it a bit and a groan was heard from Fiona. He was beginning to wonder if she was asleep or awake right now. He decided to continue on and find out for himself.

He continued to kiss her neck and when he looked down he noticed that her hands were clenching onto the blankets. He mentally chuckled upon seeing this. 'You aren't fooling anyone Fiona,' he thought with a wicked grin. He knew that she was awake and enjoying the torture that he was giving her.

Van suddenly stopped. His mouth left her neck and he pulled his hand away from her breast. He chuckled when he heard a groan come from Fiona. Her face was scrunched up in frustration. He chuckled as he stood up to walk away. Only to have his hand grabbed. He was pulled backwards onto the bed and onto Fiona.

Her eyes were wide open as she stared up him with a strange look on her face. She was enjoying what Van was doing to her and then he just decided to stop. It was frustrating to no end to her. "Don't you dare start this and not finish it," she growled out playfully before she lifted her head and caught Van's lips in a heated kiss.

Van pulled away from the kiss with a small chuckle. "Uh oh, I think I may have created an animal here," he said before catching her lips in a heated kiss once again. Her taste and her scent were only enticing him more and more.

This was the sort of thing that he had been wanting for years. There was always a certain level of doubt in Van's mind when he used to think about his wife and either his or her feelings for each other. He had no doubts about his feelings for Fiona and the decisions that he made since they got back together.

Van broke the kiss and stared down at the beautiful goddess underneath him. "Good morning," he said with a smile as he kissed her forehead and her nose before leaving a quick kiss upon her lips.

"Morning," she muttered with a dreamy sigh. "That was some wake up call," she said with a small smile. It left her very frustrated that he didn't continue on. An idea suddenly came to her mind. Before she could give Van a chance to respond, she quickly flipped them over so that she was straddling his waist.

Van was taken by surprise but her sudden movement but regained his composure and smirked as he looked up at Fiona who had a look of want, and love within her eyes. He was surprised that this was the same woman that at one point was so adamant about waiting until she got married. That didn't matter to him though. He had Fiona with him and that was all that he cared about.

* * *

Both of them were breathing hard as Fiona laid her head upon Van's chest and once again just started to enjoy the sound of his heartbeat. "That's was great Van," Fiona said softly feeling like falling asleep yet at the same time she was wide awake from their previous events. 

Van gave a light heart chuckle as he pulled Fiona close to him before something popped up within his mind. 'Oh I haven't given it to her yet,' he thought with a small smile. He let go of her for a second and stood up walking towards a drawer on the other side of the room.

Fiona was surprised when she felt Van let go of her and was a little disappointed by the lack of contact between them. "Where are you going Van, come back to bed," she said watching him and she had an urge to be within his arms like she just was. No sex, she just wanted him to hold her.

"Don't worry Fiona, I am only getting something," Van said opening the drawer and grabbing the small package he hid in there. He hid it behind his back while he walked back to the bed and got a curious stare from Fiona. "I forgot to give you your present last night," he said with a smile as he crawled back into the bed and showed her the wrapped package.

Fiona stared at it curiously. "You know you didn't have to do that Van. You have already done so many wonderful things for me on my birthday, I don't need any more," she said with her beautiful smile upon her face.

"I wanted to get you this Fiona,' he said with a bright smile as he watched her open the small present and open the case that it was within. He saw her eyes light up at what she saw within it. He knew that she knew what it was and he was glad that she remembered it.

"Van you really don't need to be giving me this," she said as she stared at the beautiful necklace that was in the box. It was a necklace that belonged to his mother, it was actually one of her favorite and one of her only pieces of jewelry. Like Fiona, van's mother didn't feel like she needed to wear them because Van his father were always complementing them on their beauty without them. They always tried to please the two of them in every way.

It was strange, Fiona always felt more welcome within their family than she did within her own. His parents treated her like one of them and gave her all the kindness in the world. She sometimes wished she had a mother like Van's instead of her own. Van's mother was kind and loving, hers was demanding and strict.

Van ignored Fiona and took the necklace out of the case and started o try and put it on Fiona. "My mom gave it to me to give to you. I was the one arguing with her then because I liked the idea but I knew how much she loved this necklace. She basically forced me to take it and give it to you. All I really had to do was get the chain of it fixed," Van said finally succeeding on getting it on before admiring his work.

Fiona lightly touch it and stared at it. In the middle of it was a small red gem. Another act of how much Van's mother loved her. "How are your parents doing Van, I haven't spoken to them in years," she said with a smile. She wanted to see them again. Hopefully they didn't have any hard feelings about what happened with Van back then. She doubted it. They never could stay too mad at someone.

"They are doing really good. Happy as ever and with no hard feeling about us," he said with a smile because just knew that that was a question that was on Fiona's mind. "I don't think it is possible for them to be angry at you. There were quite a few colorful conversations with Tiffany though," Van said thinking back to this huge argument his mother and Tiffany had gotten into.

Fiona giggled slightly. It was a rather funny picture she was getting in her head when she thought of Fiona's mother and Tiffany in the same room. There was never two more different people Fiona could think of except for maybe her and Tiffany. "I cane imagine," she said controlling her giggles.

"Do you want to go see them sometime? I am sure that they will be more than happy to see you," Van said and received an enthusiastic nod from Fiona. "Be sure to take care of that necklace, my mother would probably kill me if something happened to it," he said and they both shared a laugh together. "Get dressed, I want to spend the day out with you and now we can get an early start," he said getting up and walking to his closest. He picked out a few clothes and walked towards the bathroom.

Fiona stood up and walked towards another bathroom. "I am going to take a shower. Please stay out because I really do need a shower," she said with a smile at the little pout that Van made but he agreed anyways. She kissed him quickly before she turned and walked into the bathroom.

Since Fiona had decided to take over his shower before he could get there, Van decided to just use the other shower that their humble abode had. He liked being here with Fiona greater than he liked anything else. The sex was great but just having Fiona by his side was better than that.

* * *

Van sat down in the kitchen long after he had gotten out of the shower. He felt relaxed and ready for anything that came at him that day. He could tell Fiona was still in the shower and gave a light hearted chuckle. 'She always did like long showers,' Van thought happily. His mind was screaming at him to join her but he was still tired from earlier. He would just give Fiona a little space for the moment. She did ask him to just stay out while she took her shower. 

Van grabbed the newspaper which was resting on the table and picked it up to read it. He wasn't really surprised that there was a picture of Fiona, his wife, and him on the front page with all the commotion that they caused last night with the run in.

Van started to read the text to the article somehow interested in what the press had to say about him this time. It always was amusing what those people could cook up. He had a feeling that he would be hearing it from Crougar later if he was to read the article.

'Last night a commotion started at a local night club when Van Flyheight showed up with a few of his friends and a mysterious blonde haired woman, which was definitely not his wife. The two of them were seen dancing together intimately and even kissing each other before the sudden appearance of his wife Tiffany Flyheight whom he had married about two years before.

The distraught woman pushed the two of them apart in a frenzy and exchanged a number of heated words between her husband and the mysterious blonde. She was eventually dragged away by security when she attempted to attack the woman that accompanied Flyheight only to be held back by his two friends one of whom was his own vice president Irvine Saix. Together, the two of them run one of the biggest corporations in the world.

We caught up to Tiffany Flyheight latter in the night and managed to get a few words with the distraught woman. The teary eye woman was reluctant to talk to us but we did manage to get a few words with her. "It hurts to think about what I could have possibly done wrong. I always thought that I was nothing but a loving devoted wife. It hurt for me to see him with that woman."

We managed to get a few more words with the woman who seemed like she wanted to get away quickly but we managed to get information on the blonde haired woman. "I met her a few weeks back when she and her fiancé invited us over to their place since she was my husband's personal assistant. I knew of her before that but never met her. The two of them once went out in high school and she brutally broke his heart which only I was able to fix. I thought we would be together forever after that but I guess I was serious mistaken," Tiffany Flyheight said before running away not wanting to talk about it anymore.

If the woman seen accompanying Van Flyheight had a fiancé then why was she seen kissing him last night? Could it be that each of them merely don't care about others feelings or is there more behind all of this?'

Van just stopped reading it after that and burst out laughing. 'Tiffany crying? That woman hasn't cried a day in her life. What a way to get the publicity that she has always wanted,' Van thought still chuckling at the words that she had used.

"What are you laughing about Van?" Fiona asked coming down the stairs in a black skirt that reached up to just above her knees and a pink short sleeved shirt. She looked lovely in Van's eyes but he knew she looked good in anything. He held up the paper and she took a hold of it while reading the article that Van was reading a few moments before. "She must really care about you if she was crying about it," Fiona said in a calm tone. She felt bad for the woman but she didn't want things to change between herself and Van.

"I doubt it. She is a bit of a publicity hog. Trying to do whatever she can to find a way onto the front of a newspaper or onto the news. Now that I think of it. She never really was that interested in anything about me after we got married. She was always distant whenever we were together. I am starting to doubt that she ever loved me," Van said calmly leaning back in his chair.

Fiona pulled up a chair next to him and sat down on it before leaning her head upon his shoulder. "She would have to be crazy if she didn't love you. I love you though, with everything that I am," Fiona said with a pleased sigh.

Van wrapped his arm around Fiona's shoulder and brought her as close to him as possible. "Thanks Fiona. I love you too," he said kissing her forehead and just enjoying the feel of her in his arms. "Why don't we go out Fiona? Just the two of us. It will be our first real date since we got back together. Irvine and Moonbay were with us last night so that doesn't count. How does that sound?" Van said with a smile.

Van looked at the hand that was still wrapped around Fiona's shoulder and noticed something. 'I almost forgot about this,' Van thought starring at the wedding ring. He got used to having it on that he just forgot that it was even there. Carefully he reached over and after staring at it for a second pulled it off of his finger. He didn't feel it was right to have it on when he was with Fiona now. He figured that maybe someday after his divorce was over with, he would wear another one, this time it will be one for his and Fiona's wedding. "Come on Fiona," Van said standing up and grabbing Fiona's hand to help her up.

The two of them then walked to the door and out of it towards Van's car. It was all by itself in the driveway. "I think we will need to get you another car at some point. I have a feeling that you won't be getting your old one back," Van said and Fiona merely nodded. She wanted to buy it with her own money though. She couldn't depend on Van for everything and Van knew this. Didn't mean that he couldn't try. "So where to first Fiona?" Van asked when they got into the car.

Almost at that exact moment Fiona's stomach growled. She blushed a little and said, "Well, I guess I am a little hungry, think that we can stop someplace and grab a bite to eat?" she asked with a bright smile.

"Sure thing. I haven't had anything to eat either and our earlier activities made me very hungry," Van said with a smirk as Fiona blushed. He loved that about her, how no matter what happened between the two of them, she would always remain as she was before.

* * *

It was a small restaurant but already it had many customers this early in the morning. It did sell great breakfast food which was the reason that Van decided to come there instead of any other place. 

The place got awful quiet when Van and Fiona walked through the door but the two of them just ignored it and continued to walk towards the waiter. She looked up at the two of them with a slight smile. "Hey there Van, made quite an image in the newspaper today," she said with a smirk.

"You know as well as I do Viola that you don't take what she says serious most of the time," Van said with a smile as he shook hands with the woman. "You remember Fiona don't you?" Van asked since they all went to school together.

"How could I forget, nice to see you again Fiona. Better watch out or Tiffany will start stalking you, she is possessive, after Van's money," Viola whispered so that only Fiona could hear and this made her giggle because she was pretty sure that it was true.

"How are Rosso and Rudolph?" Van asked and earned a confused look from Fiona because she had never heard of Rudolph before. "He is a boy that the two of them adopted a few years ago. Cool kid in kind of a whiny way," Van said with a shrug of his shoulders. He may not have gotten along with Rosso and Viola back during their schooldays but they were good friends now.

"Rudolph's fine. That boy really idolizes you," Viola said although she knew that it would only give Van a big head. "Rosso is over there," Viola said pointing behind her into the kitchen where Rosso was attempting to cook. They had their own cooks so he was wondering why he was cooking when he was never too good at it. In fact, it looked like something was burning already.

Van really hoped that he wasn't planning to give that to any of the customers, he was pretty sure that they wouldn't plan on coming back if they tasted his cooking. "I feel bad for the unfortunate soul who has to eat that," Van said and earned a laugh from both Fiona and Viola.

"Yeah I know, but he seemed insistent on trying to cook something today. Don't worry; we don't plan on giving it to anyone though. Problem is that he will probably try and make me eat it," she said with a shudder. "Anyways, I will try and find you guys a seat in an area away from the windows, god knows that the media will be here within five minutes after the story that was posted," Viola said walking away with Van and Fiona following closely behind.

"Hey there Van," Rosso said coming out of the kitchen while shaking his head. It was clear that he once again failed to cook something edible again. At least he knew that and wouldn't force anyone to eat it. He had been on the receiving end of the food before and it wasn't a pleasant experience.

"Hey there. You know, if you actually take some lessons from a professional then you might have a chance of cooking something good," Van said with a smirk putting down his menu since he already knew what he wanted. "You remember Fiona don't you?" Van said pointing out Fiona.

"How could I forget? It is good to see you again Fiona," Rosso said shaking Fiona's hand. He noticed the slightly worried look on Fiona's face. "Don't worry about the newspaper; they are always looking for something on Van. His wife isn't going to make it any easier though," he said with a shrug of his shoulders. "So what is it that you guys want?" he said with a smile on his face.

Van was the first to answer because Fiona was still looking through the menu. "Some strong black coffee and those large pancakes," Van said looking towards Fiona to see if she had decided.

Fiona put the menu down a second later. "I will have some waffles as well as some coffee with salt in it," she said with a smile earning her a disgusted look from both Van and Rosso. They had no idea how she could possibly stand putting salt in her coffee.

Rosso shook off the disgust before he spoke to the two of them. "Right away," Rosso said jotting down their orders before he retreated without a word back to the kitchen to give the cooks the order.

"Did the two of them get married?" Fiona asked and she received a nod from Van. "Those two were always together. It was almost impossible to see them apart," Fiona said with a smile as she sipped on the water that had already been brought to the two of them.

"They were just like us then," Van said with a smirk and received a laugh and a nod of agreement from Fiona. Her laugh was music to Van's ear. No matter how many times he heard it, it always sounds beautiful when it came from her mouth. "I intend to make up for the time that we were separated," he said with a smile.

Van and Fiona were suddenly interrupted from their state of peace when they heard a lot of cars driving up. They both looked towards the window to see that it was the one thing they couldn't put up with, the press.

"Should have seen that coming. Someone probably called them hoping that he might be able to get on TV or in the newspaper as well," Van said but he didn't sound worried even with all of the flashing light from the camera's. He knew that they were in a place far enough away that it would be hard to get a good picture from any angles through the windows.

Van watched as Rosso and Viola ran around locking the doors so that they wouldn't have to deal with the press and with the hope that they would just go away if they knew that they wouldn't be able to get an interview with Van.

"I don't see how you can stand for this Van," Fiona mumbled listening to all the ruckus coming from outside. She knew that she would have to learn to deal with it if she planned on being with Van and she would put up with anything if she was able to be with him.

"More patience than I thought I had," Van said as their breakfast. He immediately started to stuff his face with his pancakes with a big smile on his face. "Just try and shut the noise out, you will more than likely learn how to do it eventually," Van said after swallowing his food.

When the two of them finished their meal a thought then dawned on Fiona. "Um Van, how exactly is it that we are going to get out of here. It is pretty clear that they are not going to leave until they managed to talk to you," Fiona said and laughed when she saw the dumbfounded look on Van's face when she asked this question.

"Don't worry about that. We will take you through the back way. There is no guarantee that you will escape them but it better than going through that," Rosso said walking over to them after locking all the doors. He was staring out the window and all the reporters that were pounding upon the windows wanting to get in.

"Thanks a lot. I was really starting to get worried there. It seems like some of your guests are getting impatient though because they want to get out," Van said when he heard a few people grumbling about wanting to leave. "Better do it quickly or they may think you are holding them hostage," Van said with an amused smirk.

Van and Fiona stood up and followed Rosso as he led them towards the back. When they were out of sight of all windows, Rosso stopped and told them to wait as he walked back so that he could see what was going on. It appeared that all the reporters were already moving to find out where they were coming out of. Almost all of them were gone now except for a few of them.

"You should have an easier time now," Rosso said with a smirk as the two of them walked out a little astonished. They figured that he had that planned out and they were thankful because Van car was outside the front door. They would have had to go through them anyways to get through it. They would still have to deal with a few though but that they could deal with.

"Thanks a lot Rosso," Van said grabbing a hold of Fiona's hand and he walked to the front door where the few remaining reporters were already waiting. Van braced himself as he stepped out the front door and was immediately assault with several microphones.

"Mr. Flyheight, is it true that you have been cheating on your wife with the woman standing next to you," asked a rather nosy reporter that Van had had some run-ins with in the past. The word pest came to mind when Van thought about him.

"No I have not. My wife has known for days that we are getting a divorce. She just refuses to accept it," Van said as he watched Fiona run to the passenger side of the car before getting in before the reporters had any sort of attempt to try and get any info out of her because she didn't feel like being in the spotlight unlike Tiffany. Van didn't waste any time either before getting in the car. He figured that they might give him a little peace with that information. He drove off quickly with the nosy reporter running after them but failing to catch up to them.

The two of them drove quickly down the streets but still went the sped limit. There was a silence between the two of them but it was a comfortable one. Van decided to break it though. "Where do you want to go now Fiona? How about a mall or someplace like that?" he asked with a smile.

She looked at him and smiled that beautiful smile of hers. "That sounds like fun. There is always plenty of things that we can do there. What about the press?" she asked thinking back to the experience at the restaurant.

"Malls will be crowded, for them it will be like finding a needle in a haystack. Good for making an escape by blending in with the crowd," he said and she laughed a little while nodding her head.

* * *

The mall like Van had thought was pretty crowded at that time of day. It was a good thing because no one seemed to notice that they were there in the swarms of people going about with their own business. 

"Hey Van, think we can go in there?" Fiona asked joyfully walking up to a store that looked rather big. She was already having a blast just spending the day with Van and they were lucky that they didn't have any interruptions except for at the restaurant.

Van took a quick look up at the sign and groaned. It was a big clothing store. He always hated clothes shopping. "Why don't you go on in and I will go and get us some ice cream. Does that sound good to you?" he asked and received and enthusiastic nod from Fiona before she sprinted into the store. Van just chuckled before he walked to an area where he saw a small ice cream shop.

Fiona may not like to wear make up and stuff like that but she was still a woman and liked to have nice things to wear. She was thinking of looking for something nice for Van to thank him for all that he has done for her since she ran away from her ex-fiancé's house.

Fiona walked up to a rack of dresses and looked through them with interest. One dress in specific caught her eye. It was a sleeveless baby blue dress that would go only about up to her knees. She knew that Van's favorite color was blue so she figured her would like this.

Taking the dress from the rack, Fiona walked towards the back of the store where the dressing rooms were. Stepping into the first dressing room that was open, Fiona immediately started to change into the dress to see what she would look like in it.

Fiona managed to take off her shirt and was about to take off her skirt when she suddenly felt a pair of hands on her shoulder. She was sure that they weren't Van's either. She spun around very quickly and then back up even quicker when she saw who it was. She didn't know how anyone could get in to this fitting room because she was sure that she locked the door.

"I thought it was you that I saw come in here," He said with a smile that Fiona was feeling very uncomfortable around. "I really wanted to talk to you Fiona," he said never releasing the smile he had on his face at seeing Fiona without her shirt on.

Fiona quickly realized what she was topless except for her bra and grabbed her shirt and pulled it over her head but she was stopped by Ethan. "Get the hell out of here!" she yelled snatching her hand away and pulling the shirt completely over her head so that he could no longer look at her with that disgusting glance.

"You got me all wrong Fiona. I have only come here to apologize to you for what I have done and ask you if you will please come back to me," he said but she was shaking her head no furiously. "Why not Fiona? I was having a bad night and I am sorry for hitting you. I will do anything to make up with you,' he said although his voice didn't sound too pleading. It was almost as if he had rehearsed these lines.

"No! I will not go back with you after what you did! You never respected what it was that I wanted to do, you hit me around, started making all these accusations that were untrue! There is no way that I can ever trust you again. I didn't trust you all that much back then either. Just stay out of my life from now on! I am with Van now and truly happy so leave me alone," she said rushing for the door but she was stopped when Ethan grabbed her arm.

"I knew that you were cheating on me for him. We barely broke up over a week ago and already you are with him! What good do you think that it will do to be with a married man Fiona?" he yelled at her with fury in his eyes. They were just like that night.

"Here treats me with all the respect he can. He respects my wishes and has even gone so far as to leave his wife for me. You would never be able to do any of the things that he has done for me," Fiona yelled suddenly finding the courage that she wished she had that night that she left him.

He felt anger overwhelm him and he hit Fiona hard in the face making her hit the wall. It was starting to become a repeat of that night. "He's taken your virginity hasn't he?" he asked angrily and received a stern glare from Fiona. "I knew it! You are nothing but used goods now. He will probably just leave you soon anyways! I am willing to take you back despite this but I want something in return," he said advancing towards Fiona.

Fiona was becoming frightened once again. It was like no one had noticed what was going on back here yet and she wanted someone to help her, she wanted Van. "Van!" she screamed at the top of her lungs before she was hit again and her mouth was covered so that she couldn't scream anymore.

* * *

Van was walking towards the store hoping that Fiona was about finished so that they could continue on with their date. He carried two ice cream cones in his hands and there was a smile on his face. Except for earlier, nothing bad has gone wrong though the day but he had a bad feeling about something. 

"Van!" everyone around them heard a scream even over all the loud noises. Van immediately recognized it as Fiona's voice and dropped the ice cream cones and sprinted towards the store. He knew nothing could ever be perfect.

He ran into the store to see the shop owner trying to open the doors to the dressing room but failing. "Move!" Van yelled and she did as he told her before bashing through the door. He ran into there and her some rustling from a stall and ran to it but it too was locked.

He could tell that there were two people in there and one of them was a reluctant Fiona. The owner came up to him and shakily tried to unlock the door. It opened and Van rushed in and grabbed Ethan's arm as he was about to hit the shaking Fiona. "Don't even think about it!" Van yelled throwing the man out of the stall with more strength than he knew he had.

Ethan immediately got up and bolted out of the store knocking the owner down. It was obvious that he didn't want to get caught there when the security came to find out what the disturbance was.

Van knelt down before Fiona instead of chasing after him. She appeared to be ok, she just look a little shaken up. A much better state than she was originally in after she ran away from him the first time. "Are you ok Fiona?" he asked placing his hands upon her shoulders.

Fiona looked up at Van with a smile on her face because she was happy to see him there. "Oh Van," she said happily wrapping her arms around his shoulders but she was shaking slightly. "I'm so glad that you are here," she said tightening her hold on him. She never wanted to let him go afraid that Ethan would return.

Fiona was still fully clothed much to Van's relief meaning that he got there before anything could happen. "Let's go home Fiona. We will just spend a cozy day there if you would like," Van said and received a nod from Fiona.

"Excuse me Mr. Flyheight, but the press is already out there," the female shop owner said and the same thing was on everyone's mind. 'How the hell did they get here so quickly!'

Van groaned with a shake of his head. "Fiona, please stay in here while I go deal with them, I don't think there will be any other way," Van said and received a reluctant nod from Fiona. He stood and walked towards the entrance where there was a set of reporters waiting patiently for him to come out.

"Mr. Flyheight, can you please explain to us what exactly it is that has gone on here?" a reporter said stuffing the microphone into his face. Flashes were coming from several different cameras and were blinding Van.

Van took a deep breath so as to calm himself before he started to speak. "The incident that just occurred is that my girlfriend was attacked by her ex-fiancé. He was getting abusive with her a few weeks ago so she ran away but he didn't want to let her go and came back," van said feeling his nerves were on end with the mere thought of it.

"You call her your girlfriend but aren't you already married. What was it that happened between you and your wife the previous night," another reporter said stepping up and getting into Van's face.

"What happened is that she couldn't except the fact that we are getting a divorce. She was getting to jealous and was doing things that I did not appreciate towards my friends. She was being selfish and didn't care for the health and safety of my friends, especially Fiona when she came to me for help and I just couldn't take it anymore. I never really got together with Fiona until after the decision was made to get a divorce," he said before the security cleared a path so that Van and Fiona would be able to get out without too much problems.

* * *

"So Fiona, are you feeling any better?" Van asked when the two of them got home around noon that day. He saw her just relaxing upon the couch with a smile on her face and he couldn't help but smile back. She has gotten a lot stronger emotionally these past few weeks with him and it made him feel good. 

"Yes thank you. I think I could use a good nap though," she said with a small yawn. She didn't say a word as Van crawled in next to her and pulled her so that he head was upon his chest. "This feels good," she said with a content smile as she felt the warmth he was giving her.

Van lightly stroked her hair as she fell into a nice nap within his arms. He looked down at her when her breathing had evened out and smiled at her peaceful state. No one could tell what it was that she had gone through just an hour before. "Rest Fiona. You deserve it," he said closing his eyes and joining her in the peaceful nap.


	13. vacation

Van yawned and sat up on the couch him and Fiona had fallen asleep on when they got back. The first thing that he noticed was that Fiona wasn't there. The spot was empty and there were no sounds in the house. "Fiona?" he asked standing up and walking around looking for her.

It didn't take long for him to realize that she was not even in the house any longer. 'Where could she have gone?' he asked himself as he walked into the kitchen and towards the refrigerator. He planned to get something to eat before he started searching again.

As he was about to open the door, Van noticed a note stuck to it that wasn't there earlier. He picked it up and looked at it with a sigh of relief. 'Van, Moonbay came by earlier and dragged me away. We will be back by about six or seven tonight. Bye. Love you.'

Van gave a smiled as he set the note down and started to scrounge through the refrigerator for something to eat. He came out and looked at the clock to see that it was only five in the evening and knew it would be a while before she came back.

'It is so boring around here without her,' Van thought flipping through the channels as he ate the sandwich that he had put together. 'Oh yeah, I almost forgot that there was a call that I had to make,' Van thought standing up and walking towards the phone.

He picked up the phone and dialed in a number quickly. He put it up to his ear and listened as it rung only two or three times before it was picked up by a woman. "Hello?" she said in a soft tone.

"Hey there mom," Van said and laughed when he heard his mother trying to straighten herself up on the other side of the line. It was a while before he heard anything. "Mom?" Van asked although he knew that she was still there.

"Oh Van. It is so good to hear from you. It has been so long since we have been able to talk and I was beginning to wonder if you were even alive," his mother said happily on the other end of the phone.

"Don't worry. I am just fine. Alive and uninjured," Van said chuckling. "You are such a worry wart. I am old enough to take care of myself. I am running a huge business after all," Van said and he was glad when he heard his mother chuckle.

"Yes I know but you are still my son and I will always worry about you," she said in a bright tone. 'Especially when you are living with someone like Tiffany,' she thought but managed to refrain herself from speaking it out loud. "Anyways, what is it that we owe the honor of this call?" she said with a laugh.

"Oh yes, I just wanted to let you know that I was going to be coming down for a little while. I figured that I would give you a bit of warning before I showed up," Van taking a seat on the couch.

"How many will be coming this time?" she asked as politely as she could but Van could hear a bit of venom in her voice. There were numerous times that Van would just come down with Tiffany because she was too busy or didn't even want to come. She was hoping this would be one of those times.

"It will just be two people," van said with a smirk because he was sure his mother thought of Tiffany, especially when he heard the groan on the other side of the phone. He knew she would be in for a pleasant surprise when he turned up with Fiona instead. He knew this vacation will be better than the last few.

His mother knew that she couldn't really argue with her son because it was his choice and she would just have to stand by it. "Fine, I will have a room made up for you. When is it that you will be coming down?" she asked politely.

"It will probably be in about a week because there are a few things I need to do. I can't wait to see the all of you. Can't wait to come, have a surprise for all of you. Tell dad and Maria that I said hello. Bye," Van said quickly hanging up the phone before his mother could question him about the surprise.

Van walked back to the couch and sat down before turning on the TV and nearly fell backwards when the first thing he saw was Tiffany. 'The media is having way to much fun with this story. How much longer until it ends?' Van asked himself with an annoyed chuckle.

"Please tell us, what is it that is really going on between you and your husband. He didn't really have that much good to say about you earlier," the reporter said and although van didn't see the face. He knew it was the nosy one that would never leave him alone.

The interview that Van went through earlier that day appeared on screen before a reply could be made. "What happened is that she couldn't except the fact that we are getting a divorce. She was getting too jealous and was doing things that I did not appreciate towards my friends. She was being selfish and didn't care for the health and safety of my friends, especially Fiona when she came to me for help and I just couldn't take it anymore. I never really got together with Fiona until after the decision was made to get a divorce."

Tiffany had a sad look upon her face while looking towards the ground but Van could see she was really looking at the camera. "It is all a lie. I have known for weeks that they were having an affair behind my back but I refused to say anything. I wish I could have done something to put a stop to it sooner to save all of the heartache I am going through," she said as a tear fell down her face.

Van groaned and leaned against his seat thinking how pathetic her attempts at being convincing were. "Why won't she just give up and get over it?" Van asked himself. He then heard the phone ring and walked over to answer it.

Van didn't even get a chance to say anything before Crougar's voice was heard over the phone and it sounded urgent. 'Van, I need you to come down to the office immediately. There are a few things that we need to discuss," Crougar said before he hung up the phone.

Van mouth hung open as if ready to speak but he knew he would never get a chance to. "Ok sir," Van said to no one and hung up the phone before he walked towards his room to get changed.

* * *

The elevator came to a stop on the top floor of the building and Van stepped out of it. He walked into the room and didn't bother to talk to anyone as he walked to Crougar's office. He knocked on the door before he opened it. "You wanted to see me?" Van asked as he stepped into the room. 

"Yes, take a seat," Crougar said in a tone that he always used whenever Van did something wrong. "What exactly is going on with your wife Van? I also want to know what is going on with Fiona as well," Crougar said in a strict tone.

"It is as I said before when surrounded by reporters. I am planning to get a divorce. She just can't accept it and is trying to ruin me. About Fiona, her and I are together now. That didn't happen until after I told Tiffany I was getting a divorce," van said as casually as he could.

Crougar sighed and leaned back in his chair. "I am retired, you know that Van. I only stay here because I want to make sure the company is in capable hands. All of this publicity Tiffany is getting into could do some damage and I do not wish to see the company your father and I worked so hard to build, fall to pieces," Crougar said in a sad tone while looking at Van.

Crougar and Van's father had started the company shortly after Van left high school and went onto college. Van worked there in his free time to pay his own way through college and eventually got to one of the top spots. He father handed his control over to Van shortly after he graduated and retired like he meant to for a while. Crougar did the same shortly after that.

"I know how you feel. I assure you that nothing bad is going to happen. I am trying to settle this matter and put an end to it," Van said leaning his head down with a slight groan. "Tiffany is just trying to ruin me because I won't stay with her," he said lifting his head.

"I know you are capable of running the company very well. We are doing better than we ever have when you first took control. I will just get to the point. Van I want you to get away for a while I try and sort things out," Crougar said shocking van a little because he thought he was going to be yelled at.

"I was already planning to. I was going to visit my parents next week with Fiona. It will definitely be good to get away from everything and be able to relax. Good thing it is far away where it will take a while for the news to travel… I hope," Van said with a slight chuckle that was soon joined in by Crougar.

"Why don't you just head down there immediately? I know there was a meeting that you had to go to despite being on vacation but I can cover for you there. Just get away and try to relax as we try and clear up this mess," Crougar said with a smile.

"My parents will probably be annoyed since I said I was coming in a week but I will do it anyways. I will see if we can get a plane by tomorrow at the earliest," Van said with a slight nod to Crougar before he left the room.

He got down to the garage and looked at his watch and saw that it was already six thirty. 'Fiona will probably be home by the time that I get there. Might as well pick up something to eat on the way home instead of making anything. We have nothing to make anyways," Van said hopping into his car before speeding away from the building.

He made a quick stop to pick up some Chinese food before he started off again and made it him by about seven fifteen that night. He already saw Moonbay's car in the driveway so he knew they were both there already.

He got out of his car and walked to the door with the food in his hand. He opened the door and some laughter assaulted his ears almost immediately. He could hear Fiona's, Moonbay's, and also Irvine's voices in the house. "I'm back!" he yelled walking into the room where they were all sitting.

"Hey Van!" Fiona said happily. She got up and immediately wrapped him with a tight hug. "Oh good, you brought us some food. We had nothing in the kitchen," she said taking the bag out of his hand and ran towards the kitchen.

Van was still kind of shocked about how she was handling what happened that morning. Maybe it was because it didn't shock her that he did it then. The first time, she actually had trust and faith in him, this time she knew what he was capable of. "Hang on Fiona. I will give you a hand," Van yelled running after her.

Van walked in and saw Fiona quickly trying to put things together for him and their friends. "My aren't you perky today," she said wrapping his arms around her waist. "So what did you do today?" Van asked taking a hold of the plates in Fiona's hands.

Fiona looked at him and smiled. "Nothing much, Moonbay and I just went out like old times. We just haven't able to do that much lately. Since I have been basically giving all of my time to you," she said as she started to dish out the food onto the plates.

Van just chuckled and continued on with his task. "If I knew Irvine and Moonbay were going to be here, then I would have bought more," Van said and looked at Fiona who had suddenly started to slow down in her work. Maybe he was wrong about earlier. "How are you doing Fiona?" he asked kindly.

"I would rather not think about it. It just didn't surprise me as much as it did the first time. I actually kind of expected him to try something like that when I saw him. I did scare me though," Fiona said in a quiet voice setting down everything in her hands.

"Oh cheer up now, at least you didn't come out looking like last time," Van said with a small chuckle as he rubbed his hand over a small bruise on her cheek that would probably be gone in a day or two. "Besides, I have some good news for you," Van said with a bright smile.

Fiona suddenly seemed interested in what he said and looked up at his smirking face with her own curious one. "Oh really? What might that be?" she asked finally putting a smile on her face again.

"We are leaving early tomorrow to head over to my parents place. I originally had it for a week but Crougar wanted us to get out immediately until the press died down," Van said with a bright smile. He heard Fiona squeal and then she wrapped her arms around Van tightly.

"That's great Van! Maybe a little short noticed but this will be a lot of fun I think. I see one problem but I think I can get over it," she said and saw Van's curious stare. "My mother still lives there. There is probably a good chance that I will run into her there," Fiona said with a small frown since she did not want to see her mother right then.

"Don't worry about her Fiona. Even if you do run into her, it will give you a chance to confront her about what she has done," Van said with a shrug of his shoulders. 'That woman definitely needs to be taken off her high horse,' Van thought before a thought came to him. "Does your mother know what has become of me in all these years?" he asked having a feeling that she didn't.

"Not that I am aware of. She usually doesn't pay attention to anything with your family name and just assumes that it is your father. She hates him too so she doesn't want to see anything about your family," Fiona said with a small chuckle because knew what Van was planning.

Van was planning to rub his success in her face. She always called him a good for nothing who wouldn't get anywhere in life without his father's help. She said his only hopes were his pathetic dreams. 'Look where my dreams have gotten me now old woman,' Van thought grinning while rubbing his hands together.

Fiona chuckled while shaking her head. She grabbed the plates and walked out into the room with the awaiting Irvine and Moonbay. 'My mother will be in for a quite a surprise,' Fiona thought with a smile.

"What were you two talking about in there?" Moonbay asked when Fiona walked out into the room and placed some plates in front of them. Moonbay rubbed her hands in delight and immediately started to dig into the food.

"Van and I are going to be out of town for a while starting tomorrow. We are going back home to visit his parents. I personally can't wait; his family is the only one that treats me like a part of one. My mother never has, she has always tried to make me just like her. I don't want that though," Fiona said gripping her hands at her side.

"I think you should use this time and confront her about that Fiona. You can't keep running away from her. You need to stand up to her and tell her how you actually feel," Irvine said also digging into his food just like Moonbay was.

"Van told me the exact same thing. Doesn't mean that I can't avoid her as much as possible. She always makes me feel as if I have done something wrong. She was so intent on me marrying Ethan no matter what happens. I know she will get on my case about me dumping him and getting back together with Van," Fiona said taking a seat while Van came out into the room with their plates.

"Everyone has a choice in the decision of their own lives Fiona. She only cares for what will benefit her in the long run. That was why she hated me so much. I didn't have much back then. She doesn't care if you were in love, all she cared about was money," Van said sitting down next to her trying to put a smile on his face. He too was not looking forward to the possibility of see her mother either.

"Thanks for the encouragement Van. Van… if I do end up facing her, do you think you could be there with me?" She asked looking into his eyes with a pleading look. She did not want to go through that alone.

"Of course. I have a few bones that I have to pick with her as well. Like what she was thinking about allowing you to be with that guy!" Van said angrily clutching his hands at his side while taking deep breathes.

"He had money and knew how to use it. He would do anything if it meant that he could gain more. My mother saw that as the ideal person and she put pressure on me to get married to him even though I never really loved him. I guess I gave in because I was so intent on impressing her then. I don't care what she says now. Her choices only keep hurting me," Fiona said in a quiet tone but it was heard by the other three.

"It was her fault that Fiona didn't go to college with us. She changed the college that Fiona was going to go to at the last minute and Fiona couldn't do anything about it," Van said since he was pretty sure that Irvine and Moonbay hadn't heard about it before.

"I always did hate her. One time she called me a good for nothing tramp. Anyways, Irvine and should probably go. You and Van have a lot you need to do tonight so I think we should get going," Moonbay said grabbing Irvine's arm while dragging him towards the door. "We'll talk when you get back. Be sure to buy souvenirs," Moonbay said waving before she left the house with Irvine in tow.

* * *

Fiona rolled over and groaned when she didn't feel the warmth of Van's arms wrapped around her. She whimpered slightly as she reached over and noticed that he wasn't in the bed next to her. "Van?" Fiona asked opening her eyes to see nothing but an empty bed. 

She stood up and walked to the door to the room nearly tripping over the luggage that they had packed the previous night. She stopped when the door to the bathroom opened and Van walked out wearing nothing but a towel. She couldn't help but stare at his figure.

"Oh good, you're awake. You better quickly hop into the shower because we are running a little late. I just saw you sleeping peacefully and I couldn't bring myself to wake you up," van said with a smile as he walked over to grab his clothes for the closet where both his and Fiona's clothes hung. He grabbed out one of the remaining sets of clothes that weren't packed and got changed quickly before he left the room.

Fiona just sleepily nodded as she walked into the bathroom and closed the door but didn't lock it. Van said they were in a hurry so she knew he wouldn't try anything but even if he did, then she wouldn't mind.

Fiona was slightly disappointed when she finished her shower without Van trying anything. She got out of the shower and dried herself off before walking to the closest like Van had a few minutes before. She looked through the closet and found the perfect thing for her to wear this rather warm morning.

It was a beautiful light blue spaghetti strap sundress that she had found in her time out with Moonbay earlier that day. It went to a few inches above her knees and fit very comfortably in all areas.

She quickly put it on and brushed her hair before she rushed down the stairs to see Van was trying to quickly make breakfast for the two of them. "Smells good," she said walking up to him.

Van turned around with a grin on his face but it dropped and he gawked at how beautiful Fiona looked in the sundress. "Y-yo-you… you look very beautiful in that Fiona. Where did you get it? I don't remember you having it," Van said with his jaw dropped slightly in shock.

Fiona just smiled at his reaction. "I got it yesterday when I was out with Moonbay. I saw it and liked it so much that I just had to buy it. I can see that you like it as well," she said with a bright smile. She had mainly gotten it to look good for Van.

"Yeah, a lot," he said finally smiling again and walked up to her before he kissed her passionately on the lips. "Just seeing you in that makes me want you so badly but we are in a hurry so let's eat our breakfast. Our plane leaves in an hour and a half," he said walking over to his food dishing it out between them.

The two of them ate as quickly as they could and rushed to grab their things and rushed out to Van's car. By the time that they were already on the road, they only had about an hour left to get there and get checked in.

They were only able to breathe a sigh of relief when they were seated in their first class seats on the plane. Van was seated in the aisle seat and Fiona was seated next to the window because she loved to look out the window while the plane was flying high in the air.

"I hope my personal plane is fixed next time. I hate having to rush to get here on time," Van said leaning back in his seat. 'It wasn't hard to get tickets at the last moment because of who I am but it would have been better if we didn't have to rush all the way here,' he thought with a sigh. "Oh well, at least we get those peanuts," Van said childishly as she grabbed a bag of them and tore into them.

Fiona giggle at Van's antics and looked out the window as the plane took to the air. She found herself tired so she just closed her eyes and slept hoping they would land soon. She wanted to see everyone so badly.

* * *

Moonbay slumped low as she dragged herself through the streets with Irvine in the same state behind her. Neither of them wanted to sleep more but there were too many things that they had to do. 

'Damn them, they get to have some fun while were here dealing with life and the media,' Moonbay thought turning a corner whenever she saw someone with a camera or she knew as a reporter came into view. They had been after her and Irvine all day trying to ask question but the two of them were on full alert and were doing everything possible to avoid them.

"I wonder if the media even sleeps. Obvious not because they always seem to be everywhere at every time of the day," Irvine said with a yawn. It was nearly eleven and when he had a day off he tended to sleep in until then. Now he was up earlier. 'What is wrong with me?' he yelled in his head.

"Hang on, I need to grab some coffee," Moonbay said stopping Irvine in his place before she walked into a small coffee shop. She heard Irvine following behind her and she smiled slightly as she walked up to the counter. She was happy when she saw that there was no line. "Two cappuccino's please," she said placing money down.

"Good, you already knew what I wanted," Irvine said leaning against the counter with a smirk on his face. He looked at the two steaming cups as they were placed in front of him and he looked happy.

"Who said one of these is for you? What makes you think that I won't just drink both of these by myself?" Moonbay asked with a smirk but it turned into a snarl when she looked out the window and saw a face that she never wanted to see again. She quickly yet carefully shoved them into Irvine's hands and stormed out of the shop.

Irvine stumbled around a bit because some of it spilt on his shirt. "Hot, hot, hot, hot, hot," he chanted setting the cups down and grabbing a napkin trying to clean the coffee off of his shirt. "I wonder what's wrong," he said following after her. He got outside and immediately knew what it was that got Moonbay so riled up.

Moonbay stomped towards where she spotted Tiffany. She had some serious bones to pick with that woman. "What the hell is your problem?" Moonbay yelled making Tiffany stop in her tracks and turn to look at her.

"Oh it's just you," she said arrogantly flicking her hair back behind her head. "I don't have time to deal with bitches like you so just stay out of my way unless you want to get hurt. I don't need advice from some flat-chested little girl," she said turning around and trying to walk away.

Moonbay's eyes twitched at Tiffanies words. She looked down and a scowl came over her face. 'Who the hell is she talking to? I am anything but flat-chested!' Moonbay yelled in her mind. She knew that she wasn't as big as Tiffany but that didn't mean she was flat-chested. She growled before grabbing Amy and turning her around rather roughly. "Listen here you bitch. Leave Van and Fiona alone. I don't want to see you around them again!" Moonbay yelled in her face.

"No, you listen! I will do whatever I damn well please. That bitch you call a friend stole him from me and I will make sure that I get him back. I don't care what happens to her in the process, she can die for all I care!" Tiffany yelled into Moonbay's face while wrenching her arm from Moonbay's grasp.

Moonbay's eyes twitched again, she will take the insult thrown at her but she would never allow anyone to insult her friends, especially someone as kind as Fiona. "How dare you!" she yelled before punching Tiffany in the side of the face.

"You bitch!" Tiffany yelled lashing out at Moonbay's using her nails and she ended up giving Moonbay a small cut on her cheek. "Take that as a warning, stay out of my way. I will have Van again and I will make sure that you don't interfere like you did last time!" she yelled before she stormed away.

Irvine ran over and helped Moonbay up from the ground. "I would say that didn't go to well. Hey, she only hurt you because she took you by surprise. You would be able to beat her down easily if given the chance," Irvine said when he let Moonbay go to stand on her own two feet.

"Damn her. She is always getting in the way, not us. She tried to break us up, turn Van against us, and a lot more. I am kind of afraid what will happen to Fiona if she was to get to her. It was clear that she would have tried to kill her at the club if we didn't stop her," Moonbay said with a sigh as she leaned against the wall of the closest building. She really was worried; Tiffany said that she didn't even care if Fiona died. It made Moonbay wonder what she would try to do.

"Come on, why don't we just skip our plans for today and just try and relax for a while?" Irvine asked and was glad when he saw Moonbay nod her head. "We had better clean up that cut so that it doesn't get infected. You don't know what germs that woman carries," he said causing Moonbay to burst out laughing.

* * *

Moonbay sat on the bed while Irvine was trying to find their first aid kit. He left for a moment and came back a minute or two later carrying the small box. He had a serious look on his face as he looked at the dried up blood on her cheek. There was also some more blood still flowing. 

Irvine opened the first aid kit and picked out a cotton ball and something to clean the wound. He put it on the cotton ball and brought it up to her face. "This will sting a bit," he said bringing it to the cut.

Moonbay flinched a bit when it came in contact but she didn't say a word about it. "I will get her back for doing this to me!" she said angrily with her fists clenched in front of her face.

"Why don't we just forget about it now and talk to Van about this when Fiona and him get back from their vacation?" Irvine asked wiping her face clean of the dried blood. "I must admit though, you looked sexy when you were angry like that," Irvine said with a sexy grin to Moonbay.

"Oh really?" Moonbay asked in a seductive tone with a smirk on her face. She took Irvine by surprise and knocked the supplies to the floor. "Come here!" she yelled dragging him down with her onto the bed.

* * *

A little bit of a change of pace for the lemons. I have never seen a I/M one. It can be found on adultfan. nexcess. net/ aff. Be sure to review here though. 


	14. family

Fiona looked over towards the sleeping Van with a smile on her face. She then turned her attention out the window. She loved Van for letting her have the window seat when he loves it so much. Hell, she loved him no matter what. 'It is good to have him back,' she said leaning back into the seat while looking into the afternoon sky.

She had woken up not too long before from the nap that she had taken when they first got onto the plane. She saw that Van was already asleep so she didn't say anything so that he could continue. 'He looks so peaceful like that,' she thought moving a stray strand of his spiky hair out of his face.

Van twitched and opened his eyes at the small contact that Fiona made with his skin. Her touch sent shivers down his spine with how good it felt. "Are we there yet?" he asked with a yawn. He leaned over Fiona slightly to look out the window and saw that they were still in the air.

"No, we should be arriving shortly though. We have been up for about an hour or two. It is far but not terribly far away," Fiona said with a smile as she turned to look out the window into the gorgeous cloudless sky.

Fiona didn't say a word after that. She was too deep in thought to want to think. Although Van had assured her that his parents didn't hate her for breaking up with Van, it still worried her what they would say when they saw her. What if they really were angry at her?

"Take deep breathes Fiona; I told you that everything is fine with them. They understood what you were going through and they don't hate you for trying to do what you felt was right," Van said wrapping and arm around her shoulders. He laid a kiss on her forehead while she laid her head upon his shoulder.

"I know, but I still feel bad for back then and I will continue to worry until I hear what they really have to say about me," Fiona said closing her eyes while trying to relax a little. It didn't help all that much.

"My parents love you Fiona. They did before and they still did after we broke up. They urged me to go after you multiple times. I still don't understand what it was that stopped me. Maybe it was the fear that you wouldn't take me back," he said putting on a weak smile at the memories.

Fiona relaxed a little and leaned into his shoulder a little further. "I really hope that you are right. They had a lot of expectations for me and I feel like I let them down by not following through with them," Fiona said sadly as she gripped his arm tightly.

Van sighed because he just couldn't get her to let go of her fears. "Fiona, if it makes you feel any better, they didn't approve of Tiffany at all. My mother had a tantrum when she heard I was getting married to Tiffany. Yet they approved of you almost immediately. Just calm down," he said kissing her forehead again.

The pilot then came on and told everyone that they were preparing to land. 'I just have to calm down. Van is right, I hope,' Fiona thought while she felt the plane beginning its decent. She knew there was no turning back from this.

* * *

Fiona breathed in the scent of the fresh air. It had been so long since she had been back here and she could definitely say it was quite refreshing compared to the of the city. This was once her home but she never returned here after she broke up with Van. Perhaps she was too afraid to see him, or maybe it was that she didn't want to see her mother, or maybe it was a bit of the both of them.

Van came out of the airports doors carrying all of their luggage. His arms were filled with them all and he was having a very hard time trying to just stand under his weight. "Help please," he begged looking at Fiona with pleading eyes. They were going to be staying here for a while so they had to bring a lot of extra sets of clothes.

Fiona just giggled at the appearance of him. She walked over to him and merely took to of the much smaller pieces of luggage. "There, now it should be a lot easier," she said with a smile taking a seat on the bench next to them.

Van glared at her playfully. "Thanks a lot," he said sarcastically causing her to laugh. He set the rest of them down as they waited for their ride to get here. Van had called in advance for a car that he left here for when he visited. He made sure that his parents didn't know of his early arrival though.

A car pulled up in front of them a few minutes later. It was a black sports car that looked brand new as if it had never been used. A man got out of the car and handed Van the keys to it before he walked away with a mere nod of his head in acknowledgement. Van nodded back as him and Fiona put all the luggage into the back. Surprisingly, it all managed to fit.

Van got into the drivers seat and started up the car while Fiona got into the passengers seat. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes hoping to get a small rest since it would still be another fifteen or so minutes before they managed to get to his parents house.

Van looked over in Fiona's direction and smiled before he got the car moving. He drove faster than the rest of the cars. It only took him ten minutes to get there instead of fifteen like those going the speed limit. He never did like driving slow, but he made sure not to overdo it.

Van looked up at the rather large house that was before him. He never really lived there because his parents got it after he left for college and his father started the business. He liked being there though. It was a comfortable place, and for his parents, large enough for the possibility of any future grandchildren.

Van knew it would be a while before he had one of his own. He still had to get the divorce from Tiffany. He knew Fiona always dreamed of children but he wouldn't have any with her until they were married. This time he did not intend on letting her get away.

Van knew his parents would be willing to wait. His older sister Maria had a child of her own as it was. They were ecstatic about the kid but they really wanted one from Van as well. He knew that he would never had one with Tiffany because she was firmly against it, feeling like it would only ruin her career.

Van reached over and shook Fiona's slightly to wake her up. "We're here Fiona. It is time that you woke up," he said but she didn't seem to want to. Van knew of the perfect way. A technique he used plenty of times in the past. He leaned over kissed her on the lips. At first she was resistant but then she responded to the kiss and kissed him back.

"Van," Fiona moaned into the kiss and whimpered when he pulled away from her smirking. "Don't stop," she begged reaching over and taking his lips once again with her own. She was hungry for every touch, and every emotion that he could ever give her.

Van smiled while his lips battled with hers. He then pulled away. "We're here," he said finally managing to remember why he wanted to wake her up in the first place. "Come on," he said taking a hold of her hand and placing a kiss on the palm of it.

Fiona carefully pulled her hand away from him. "You go ahead. I will be there in a few minutes. I just need to collect myself a bit," she said and was glad when he nodded his head while turning off the car and climbing out of it.

Van just walked away because he knew that she would come when she was ready. He still didn't see why she thought his parents would hate her for what she did. They loved her and always will. They knew why she did it and knew she only meant the best in doing so, even if it did hurt.

Van walked up to the large front door and knocked loudly on it. He didn't take any suitcases except for a small bag. He planned to get the rest later when Fiona and him were a bit more settled in.

The door opened slightly and Van looked down to see a small pair of eyes peeking through the door. Van chuckled and kneeled down to the kid's height. "Hey kiddo, my how you've grown," Van said with a smile as the kid's eyes brightened up in recognition.

The door flew open and a small boy who was only five years old flew out of the door. "Uncle Van, uncle Van!" the kid yelled in a delighted tone. He clung to Van's leg while Van tried to playfully wrestle him off. The kid had a very good grip though.

He was the son of his sister Maria. Maria was five years older than him and had married about a year after she had graduated from college. It brightened his life a bit because Van had also broken up with Fiona around the same time. His nephew came two year after that. The kid looked up to Van as his hero since he didn't have a father figure. His father died in a car crash about a year after his birth. The kid was always bugging him, but Van loved to play with the kid anyways.

His nephew, Michael, looked around Van expecting to see something. "Dragon lady isn't here?" Mike asked which caused Van to burst out into laughter at the mention of his ex-wife's nickname given to her by Mike. Clearly, none of his family liked Tiffany and he was beginning to understand why.

"Michael, who is it that is at the door?" Van heard his sister Maria asked. No sooner had it been heard then she came walking into the room. Her eyes widened at the sight of Van. "Oh Van, I thought you were coming to visit next week," Maria said as she walked over to her brother and gave him a hug.

"Yeah, but there was last minute change of plans shortly after I called here. Crougar wanted to get me away because we were having problem with the press. Where are mom and dad?" Van asked looking around, not seeing his parents anywhere.

Maria thought it over trying to remember where their parents were at. Then it clicked. "Oh yeah, they are in the kitchen. Come on, I am sure that they will be glad to see you," Maria said leading him towards the kitchen.

They walked in and their parents were there and smiled when they saw Van walk in. "Van, you're early," his mother said walking over to Van giving him a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek. "I'm slightly surprised by this," she said with a smile.

"Problems with the press. Crougar wanted me to get away for a while to get some rest. It has been very rough down their lately. I am definitely welcoming the extended vacation I am having," Van said taking a seat across from his father. He picked up a piece of toast from a large stack of them in the middle and started to eat it.

His father looked at him quizzically and noticed that he was alone. "I thought you mentioned that two were coming over," he said leaning his head on his hands while everyone else turned their attention to Van. Mike had a look of horror on him and his mother didn't look too pleased at the mention of it.

"Oh yeah, she should be coming in a few minutes," Van said after swallowing the piece of toast that was in his house. "Which reminds me that I have a bit of a surprise for all of you," Van said leaning back in the chair getting comfortable since they were very comfortable chairs.

"Oh please don't tell me she's pregnant," Van's mother mumbled and was luckily not heard by the rest of them. She did not want someone like Amy giving her grandchildren. The woman does everything possible to be mean to her family but she tries to be a complete angel when Van is around.

The sound of a knock on the door caught all of their attentions. Van grinned, his sister grimaced, his father had a calm look on his face, and his mother started to walk towards the door with Van following after her. She did not look happy at all.

She walked up to the door ready for anything whatever Tiffany could throw at her. She always said the most insulting things possible when she first walks into the house. She opened the door quickly and her angry expression turned to one of shock. "Dan!" she yelled trying to make sure she wasn't hallucinating.

Dan walked into the room and froze when he too saw who was at the door. "Fiona?" he asked with a hopeful tone to his voice. He looked around and noticed that Van had disappeared. He was probably the only one with answers.

"Hello Mr. and Mrs. Flyheight. It has been a very long time," Fiona said nervously twisting around as their eyes stuck on her as if they were seeing a ghost rather than her at the door.

"Fiona! How many times have I told you not to call us that?" Van's mother suddenly asked happily wrapping Fiona in a tight hug that knocked the air out of her for a second. "I can't believe you're here. Van just came by for a visit. What a coincidence," she said happily not even realizing that Fiona was the surprise Van talked about.

Dan scratched his head with a small laugh. "You know sweetheart, I don't exactly think it is a coincidence that the two of them are here at the same time," Dan said looking around again for Van but he was still nowhere to be found. It was amazing how much Van and his mother were alike. He gained his father's looks but his mother's personality. It was kind of a funny combination.

Fiona let off a giggle while she smiled brightly. They were treating her like they used to. All of her previous fears were melting away and was beginning to regain the comfortable feeling that she had whenever she was around Van's family.

'Van's married, so why would he have Fiona with him. I have to admit that it is definitely nice to see the two of them are friends again. She must be who Van brought with him. He asked for one room though. What is going on?' Dan asked himself as he looked suspiciously at Fiona and again for Van. He jumped when he saw that Van was suddenly standing right next to him. "Van!" he yelled in surprise.

Van smiled brightly at him. "You were quick at seeing that dad. You were right; it isn't just coincidence that she is here at the same time as me. That is because she came with me," Van said walking over and standing by Fiona as his parents looked a little confused. They were happy, but confused. "Why don't we go sit down and I will fill you all in," Van said grabbing Fiona's hand as he led her towards the living room.

Everyone followed after him and they were all sitting around staring at Van and Fiona making the two of them feel a little uncomfortable. "So what is going on Van?" his father asked leaning back in the chair. He didn't even try to hide the smile he had at the sight of Fiona.

"Before any of you jump to conclusions, I am not having an affair," Van said knowing that was going through their minds. All of his family's faces dropped and he smiled. "I am not having an affair because I am not married anymore, I am getting a divorce from Tiffany," Van said and everyone's heads snapped up.

Van's mother Karin sat up straight immediately with a bright smile on her face like that of a child that had gotten a toy store for her birthday. 'Finally!' she mentally yelled joyfully. "Then does that mean what I think it means?" his mother asked leaning in closely.

Van looked at his mother and smiled. "Yes, Fiona and I have gotten back together. We put the past behind us and are giving it a second try. Quite a few road bumps though. Me with Tiffany, and her with her ex-fiancé. Everything is good though," Van said shocking his parents.

"You were engaged Fiona?" Maria asked looking at Fiona with questioning eyes. She saw Fiona slightly nod with a sad expression. "Well I am glad that you didn't," she said making Fiona feel a lot better.

"It is true that I was engaged not too long ago. It ended shortly after it started, and not too long after Van and I met up again. He was becoming possessive and jealous and continued to pressure me to make me have sex with him. He never stopped when I told him no. Then he became abusive," she said and the tone of her voice continued to get softer and softer with each word that she said.

"Oh god, I am sorry Fiona," Karin said as her hand went over her mouth in shock. "I can't imagine what it is that you have gone through because of that. I am glad that Van was there to help you when you needed him," she said with a tone of sympathy.

"It's ok. I am just trying to forget all those bad things in the past. It has done one thing good. It allowed me to get back together with Van. So at least a little good was able to come out of something like that," she said trying to look on the brighter side of things. She took a quick look at Van as the two of them smiled brightly towards each other.

The three other people in the room stared at the two lovebirds. They could all tell that the two of them loved each other as much as they did, maybe even more, than when they were originally going out.

Van suddenly stood up and walked towards Fiona. "If you will all excuse us, we need to go and unpack our things," he said taking Fiona's hand and lifting her onto her feet with ease.

Van's mother stood up suddenly and started to walk towards the stairs. "Ok then, I will go have two rooms made up for you two. You just need to go and get your things," she said with a bright smile starting up the stairs but she was stopped by Van's voice. To her, it was the most expected things for him to say.

"That's ok mom, we will just take my usual room. No need to make up too many rooms," Van said before rushing out of the house with Fiona right behind him. He knew his family wouldn't care. The two of them always used to do this sort of thing. If they slept in the same house, it would always be in each others arms.

Maria stood up with a loud sigh. "Things really have gone back to normal for those two. It must have been in such a short time too. I could have sworn that Van was still with Tiffany when I called him a few weeks ago," she said before walking away to look for her wayward son.

* * *

Van was pulling the last of their stuff out of the car when he saw Fiona approaching him after taking some of the smaller things into the house. He stared at the beautiful sundress that she wore and how it clung to her body. He was so tempted by her looks right then.

"Is this the last of it Van?" she asked grabbing one of the few suitcases left, also the easiest one to move. When she saw him nod his head she grabbed a hold of it and then suddenly she was grabbed by Van and he back was lightly pushed against the car. "Van?" Fiona asked with loving eyes.

Van's eyes roamed up and down Fiona's body. "You are such a tease, do you know that Fiona. I just can't take my eyes off of you in this," he said indicating her clothing. "Makes me wish I can just take it off you but I don't think that will go well with my family. Except maybe my mother. She would just go into grandma mode," Van said chuckling a little before he lightly kissed her lips.

"Oh Van," she said kissing him back and moaned slightly as he started to kiss her neck. She looked around hoping that no one was around to watch. She really loved the feelings that Van put in her but she was embarrassed of being spotted in the position that they were in.

Van's lips left her neck and went back to her lips as he hungrily devoured them which Fiona reciprocated with just as much ferocity. His arms wrapped around her waist when he was suddenly interrupted by a "what you doing?"

Van looked up only to be meant with ocean blue eyes staring back at him from atop his car. "Ah," Van yelled letting go of Fiona and stepping back in shock only to tumble over the rest of the suitcases lying on the ground.

Van was stunned for a second before he jumped back to his feet and got into his nephews face. "Don't you have somewhere else to be squirt?" he asked playfully with only a little bit of anger in his voice.

Mike gave a playful grin. "Why can't I hang out with you uncle Van? Every time that you are here, dragon lady keeps you away from everyone else," Mike said laughing like only a kid could. He jumped off the car and stood in front of Fiona staring at her trying to get a feel for what she was like.

Van knelt down so she was standing at his height and gave him a bright smile. "Why hello there. You must be Mike. Van's told me lots about you," she said and laughed when he beamed back. Obviously he liked to be talked about,

"You're nice, unlike dragon lady," he said causing Fiona to laugh at the nickname. He turned towards Van. "Why isn't she my aunt?" he asked innocently which earned him a groan from Van.

"Am I going to be berated by everyone for that?" he asked no one in specific as he managed to stand up He then smiled. "Who's to say that she won't become your aunt?" he said happily as he ruffled the young kids head before picking him up and throwing him over you shoulder.

He picked up the last of the suitcases while Mike sat on his shoulders laughing happily. "Come on Fiona, I want to get some rest now because this kid isn't going to let me as long as I am here," he said walking back into the house with Fiona following closely behind him.

Fiona watched as Van and Mike playfully played with each other and smiled. 'He is so good with kids. I wonder if he will be that good with ours… whoa! I am getting way ahead of myself here. We haven't even talked about marriage yet,' Fiona thought with a small blush that went unnoticed by everyone.

"Fiona!" Fiona heard Karin yell making her stop and turn to the aging yet beautiful woman. Karin walked towards Fiona calmly and smiled. Why don't you go settle in Fiona? Then maybe we can go for a bit of a walk later. How does that sound? There is a lot that I want to get caught up with you about," she said and then smiled before she walked away without waiting for an answer.

Fiona nodded her head with a smile and turned back around and walked up the stairs towards the room that Van had been walking towards before Fiona had been stopped by his mother. He had stopped and waited patiently for her to come since she didn't know her way around. For this, she was very thankful for. The place was big and she was afraid of getting lost.

Fiona walked into what would be their room for the next few weeks. It was a cozy room that had plenty of space but too much. It had its own bathroom to the left of the door and a large king size bed against the far wall. She could say that she liked the room a lot.

Van put the suitcases he was carrying on the ground and looked towards Fiona. He smirked before he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into his chest. "Where were we?" he asked in a seductive tone that made Fiona shiver with anticipation.

Fiona wrapped her arms around Van as he easily picked her up and pulled her towards the bed. They fell down with Fiona on the bottom. Van took her hands and held them above her head as he laid feather light kisses down her chin and to her neck. She shivered in delight and arched into him to give him better access.

Van's hands reached down towards the end of the sundress but he was stopped when he noticed Mike was once again their. "Ah," Van yelled in shock as he rolled off to the side and they were both beat red. "Didn't my sister ever teach you how to knock?" Van growled out, upset that he had lost his chance with Fiona again.

"Sure she did and I did knock before I came in," he said not understanding what was going on. "Why is it that you are trying to eat Auntie Fiona?" he asked making the two of them blush beat red at being caught by a five year old.

Van was at a complete loss for words. 'How do I explain something like that to a five year old?' he asked himself as he thought it over. "Um… well… it is hard to explain. I will tell you when you are fifty," Van said just blurting out words hoping the kid would leave. He was tired and he just wanted to spend some time with Fiona.

Fiona slowly got off the bed and kneeled before the child. "Van and I are kind of tired right now. Do you think you can leave and allow us to rest up?" she asked putting on a smile and was happy when he thought it over and then nodded before bounding out of the room.

"Smart thinking Fiona. Where were we then?" Van asked after he went and locked the door. He pouted when she just pushed him back. "Something wrong Fiona?" he asked as she sat next to him and laid her head on his shoulder.

"No, I am just really tired. Why don't we just get some rest? Plus I don't think your parents will appreciate us doing it in their house," she said pulling him down next to her and she laid her head upon his chest and closed her eyes.

Van just chuckled but smiled nonetheless as he stared at Fiona as she tried to fall asleep. "Whatever you say Fiona," he said wrapping his arm around her as he closed his eyes attempting to get a little shut eye as well.

* * *

The place was actually very beautiful when Fiona got a good chance to look at it. They were just walking in the yard behind the huge house. It was filled with many beautiful flowers that were more than likely planted by Karin since it had always been something that she loved to do. Fiona used to love helping her in the beautiful gardens that she used to have.

"This place is as lovely as it can be. You have done such a wonderful job on it like you usually do," Fiona said as she stopped and kneeled down to smell a beautiful red rose. She loved the smell of flowers and wished to have a garden of her own in the future.

"Thank you Fiona. That is such a kind thing to say. Except for Van and Maria, these are my biggest pride and joy," she said admiring her work. "It is too bad that some people don't agree with you about such things. I always used to try and be nice to Tiffany but she was always insulting everything I did," Karin said with a pout.

Fiona gave a half hearted smile. "She is definitely not the friendliest of people. She hasn't left Van alone since he broke up with her. It is really starting to get on my nerves. I just want to live a normal life with Van," Fiona said as she sat on a small bench in the garden.

"I warned him, his father warned him, even Maria warned him not to get involved with her but he still did anyways and now look at what he has gotten himself into. It would surprise me if she tried to take everything to Van owns in the divorce. She will drag it out until she gets what she wants. Luckily Dan made them sign a prenuptial. He didn't trust Tiffany from the beginning. He knew she was only after one thing and it wasn't Van," Karin said giving some water to some lilies with a sad smile.

"She didn't know what she had. Then again, I guess I didn't either when I decided to leave him. It is a decision that I have felt bad over for years," Fiona said as she laid her head back and stared up into the vast blue sky.

Karin chuckled a little as she joined Fiona upon the bench. "No, you knew what you had and still made a decision that you assumed was best for the both of you. There is no shame in that. You just thought that you would bring him happiness. That is the type of selflessness I always loved in you," she said giving Fiona a hug.

"As I said before when I first got here. I am trying to put the past behind me now. Everything is going great for me now. I don't want anything to ruin it," Fiona said with a bright smile.

"You are a one of a kind person Fiona. You are the perfect type for my son. So… when are the kids coming?" she asked with a laugh and laughed even more when she saw the bright red blush cross Fiona's face. "I have been asking you since I met you and I am tired of waiting," she said jokingly.

Fiona shook her head to try and lessen the blush. 'I should have expected something like that from her,' she thought with a small chuckle. "You are a little ahead of yourself. We just got back together. I better go now," Fiona said standing up quickly to go and find Van since they had planned to go somewhere and she needed to get ready.

A few moments after Fiona had left; Maria came walking through a small opening carrying a small basket filled with flowers that her mother had asked her to get from a certain area.

Maria walked up to her mother and looked at Fiona retreating form and from what she could see, her still red face. "I am willing to bet anything that the two of them have finally done it. It is a wonder how they lasted this long," Maria said causing her mother to laugh out loud.

"They have most likely have done it. It wouldn't surprise me. All for the better either way," she said as the two of them walked back towards the house wanting to get dinner started so that it would be ready when Van and Fiona got back from wherever they were leaving to.


	15. Fiona's past

"So where are we going Van?" Fiona asked as she looked out the window. They were just driving around town then. From what she could tell, it was towards their old school but she wasn't quite positive that that was where Van was trying to take her to.

"I just want to look around. It has been a while since either of us has been able to come back and have a good look around the place," he said as he pulled into the old high school. He always told himself he would never go back to school after he graduated but he had this sudden urge to have a look at the place he was forced to spend four years of his life in.

"This place sure hasn't changed," Fiona said as she walked towards the doors. School had long since let out for the day so they knew that they weren't disrupting any classes by being here. "I wonder if any of our old teachers are still here," she said as she opened the door and they walked in.

"I am not sure. Dr. D is working in the same town as us now so that is all I can really tell you," Van said as he walked next to her as they walked through the halls. "he is the same as ever. Crazy and always trying to invent weird things," he said with a chuckle as well as Fiona.

"Van? Fiona?" a voice said causing them to stop and turn around to see Rob Herman. He was the son of the head of the school district and their old business teacher. Van father had forced him to take the class at the time but he enjoyed it anyways. "My god it really is you," he said with a smile as he approached the two of them.

"Yeah, we were in town so we thought it would be a good idea to check out some of the places we used to go to. I am surprised to see you are still here. Still teaching those business classes?" Van asked Herman as the three of them started walking down the halls.

"No, I am actually the principal here now. The old one had a heart attack after putting up with too much with students that have been here after you," he said with a laugh as well as Van. Fiona didn't think it was funny that he had a heart attack even if she didn't like him either.

Van managed to control his laughter and put on a straight face. "So, who else is still around here, It will be nice to see some other people that we used to know," Van said as the stepped inside Herman's office and all three of them took a seat with a cup of coffee in each of their hands.

"No, most have left for better opportunities," Herman said as he took a sip of his coffee. "So, I heard you have really struck it big since high school. I always had high expectations for you and Fiona. You two never ceased to amaze me," he said place the mug on the top of the desk.

"I merely took over the company when my father decided to retire a few years after he helped create it. I am proud to say that it has prospered since I took over," Van said in a proud tone.

"I see. So, did the two of you ever get married?" he asked and was surprised when the both of them shook their heads no. "That's shocking. You two were always with each other. In all my years, I don't think I ever saw two people who were more in love than the two of you," he said with wide eyes.

"We actually broke up a few days before we graduated from here. It was just to make things easier for us in college since we were going to two different colleges which were rather far apart from each other," Fiona explained and saw that Herman finally started to get what she was saying.

"Yeah, well we are back together now. Soon my divorce will be final and we will be able to do much more with each other," Van said shocking Herman again. "Yeah, yeah. I got married about two years ago to a woman named Tiffany. It was never really much of a marriage. Fiona coming back into my life just made me realize that," Van said happily as he gave Fiona's hand a squeeze from under the desk.

"I see. Well I wish that I could keep talking to the two of you but I really must get going. I have a lot of work to do tonight and I should probably get home and get started on it," he said as he stood up and the other two followed him. "Maybe we should talk again sometime," he said and Van and Fiona agreed with him and then he escorted them out.

"That was nice talking to him again. He was a very popular teacher, especially amongst the females of the school," Fiona said in a teasing tone and she knew she got to Van when she saw the jealous look upon his face. "Except me of course. I had all I could ever need then," she said pecking him on the cheek before they climbed into the car.

Van drove down several back roads. He was following the instructions that Fiona was giving him but he already knew where she wanted to go. It was a place she probably hadn't gone to in years.

They drove for about a half an hour going to the next town over. Fiona had once told Van that this was where she once lived before she moved in with her mother. Van was surprised then because he didn't know she was so close to him before she moved.

The pulled up to a small house and Fiona got out of the car and walked towards it looking it over with a smile on her face. There appeared to be no one living there and probably no one had for at least a few years. Despite that, it was still in pretty good shape and brought back pleasant memories for Fiona.

"So this is where you used to live with your father?" Van asked and she nodded her head happily as she walked towards it and then into the back of it. He had never really seen her act like this in a place that was sure to bring back memories of her father, memories that she always seemed so insistent on keeping inside of her.

Fiona had a content look on her face as she took a seat on a small swing. "I used to play on this swing for hours with my father pushing me. He always said that seeing me laugh and be happy was the highlight of his day. I was always happy when I was with him so he was always happy," Fiona said swinging back and forth.

Van felt slightly jealous of Fiona's father. He held so much respect in Fiona's eyes. Van felt like he would never even be able to measure up to him. It didn't mean that he wouldn't try. "I can definitely see why that is," he said with a smile as he took a seat that was next to her.

"I never dreamed that I would want to come back here after he died. Maybe it was that I thought that I would never be happy again. I found you though and it brought me the type of happiness that my father used to bring me," she said kicking her feet as she swung slightly.

Van chuckled slightly because he felt proud that he could make Fiona feel like that. "I wish I could have met him. Someone who could raise such a great daughter must be a great man himself," he said standing up and looking around.

"He was, just as much as you are," she said with a smile as she stood up as well. "Van, do you think maybe you can take me to see him. I haven't been able to visit him in a long time," she said with a pleading look on her face.

Van was shocked at her question. "You shouldn't even have to ask me that Fiona. I would have taken you if you just said that you wanted to," Van said taking her hand and pulling her towards the car once again.

"Yeah, I know. I guess I am just too used to asking my mother to take me. She never would though. Ever since he died I was only able to manage one or two visits and I feel really bad for that," Fiona said sadly as she took one last look at her childhood home before getting into the car.

"What kind of mother wouldn't even let her own daughter go and see her father's grave?" Van said in an angry tone. The more she heard about what the woman did to her daughter, the more he hated her.

Fiona didn't answer and just stared out the window at the passing scenery. She just remained that way until the reached the cemetery. Fiona just went ahead as Van turned in a different direction and walked away towards a store that he saw on the way there.

Fiona was a little disappointed that Van didn't follow her but she continued on her search. It only took about two or three minutes before she approached a tombstone that read 'George Lynette' Fiona kneeled down in front of the grave and was upset that she didn't bring any flower with her.

"Hello father. I'm sorry that I haven't been able to come and visit you as much as I would have liked to. Things have just been so chaotic lately," Fiona said with a chuckle that was only half-hearted. "I'm here now. I hope things are good for you up there," she said with a smile as she looked towards the sky.

She looked back towards the tombstone and smiled slightly. "You always taught me how to live a happy life. Always taught me what I should and shouldn't do. I guess I couldn't go by some of those rules. I am very happy though. I have Van with me. He is a great guy that makes me just as happy as you used to be able to," she said with a smile.

"You always told me to follow my heart but I haven't done that. I have been doing whatever mother has told me to do. I guess I just wanted to impress her so much. I gave up just about everything that I had and yet she was never impressed and I gave up my hearts desire in the process," she said running her hand across the grass. A tear escaped her eye but it never fell to the ground before a hand caught it.

Van smiled as he gave Fiona some flowers he had bought. He saw the store on the way and decided to get some while Fiona had a little private time with her father. "Can't come here and not give him some flowers," he said with a smile as he sat down next to her. "So this is him?" he said with a smile.

"Thank you Van," she said gratefully as she placed the flowers on the grave. She was surprised to see that it was his favorite. "How did you know that he loved white roses so much?" Fiona asked Van with a smile.

"I figured that if he was anything like his daughter that he would love them since they are also your favorite kind of flower," he said placing a comforting hand upon her shoulder. He turned towards the grave. "Greeting Mr. Flyheight. You have a wonderful daughter here," he said grabbing Fiona's hand.

"This is Van daddy. He is the one that I love more than anything in the world. The one that mother almost had taken away from me. The only person who could make me as happy as you used to," Fiona said to the tombstone.

"I am sorry if what we have done defies your expectations for her. I just can't imagine my life without her anymore. I lost her once and I don't want to lose her again. she is more precious to me than anything I have ever had," he said giving Fiona's hand a tight squeeze which she reciprocated. "It's a shame that I couldn't meet you in person. I promise you that I will take care of Fiona since you can't and her mother obviously doesn't want to," Van said causing Fiona to giggle since she knew that it was true.

"I promise that I will try and come visit more father. I live far away but whenever I get the time, I will come back. Who know, maybe next time I will have children of my own," she said the last part so softly that not even Van could hear even with his close proximity to her. She was sure that her father could hear her though.

The two of them stood up and Fiona's took on final look at her father's grave. "Goodbye father, I will come again soon like I promised," she said taking Van hand and they slowly walked away from the tombstone.

* * *

The two of them drove in silence all the way back towards Van's parent's house. It was comfortable and Fiona was feeling a lot better after the waterworks she cried after they left her father's grave. 

Van drove down the road and noticed as Fiona looked at a certain area as they passed it. "You can't keep running from her Fiona. You should stand up to her and tell her to back out of your life," Van said placing a hand on Fiona's knee and giving it a little squeeze.

"I know that but I just don't want to. Since I moved in with her she has always made a lot of demands upon me, done things that have made my life miserable. I just don't want to go there," Fiona said looking towards the floor. "Sometimes I just wish he was still here Van," she said sadly as a tear escaped her eyes.

Van looked at Fiona sadly. Her father meant everything to her. When they first met she always put on a smile that had no meaning. Her heart was closed off to just about everyone. He was happy the first time that he made her give a true smile. He knew then that she would be great. He knew then that he loved her more than anything.

Van slammed on the breaks since no one else was on that road. The both of them jerked forward rather harshly but Van just ignored it and turned the car around and headed back in the direction that they came from.

"W-where are you going Van?" Fiona asked a little afraid of what his answer would be. She was afraid of the answer yet she knew where he was going without even having to be told. "Van, please don't," she begged him but he either didn't hear or didn't bother to reply.

Van drove until they were in front of a large white house. He then turned towards Fiona. "Like I said, you can't run forever. Just go up there and tell her straight to her face that you want her to stay out of your life from now on. She was the one that got you in that disastrous relationship, she was the one that made me lose out on so many years with you. Talk to her, I will be there with you the whole time," he said seeing her shake slightly but he smiled as he saw her nod her head.

"Fine. Do you promise that you will be there the entire time?" Fiona asked and she saw him smile and nod. "Thank you. Maybe this is really what I need to do to get past that part of my life," she said as she reached a shaking hand towards the door.

Fiona got out of the car at the same time as Van and stared at the two story home. She never could get why her mother wanted that place considering that she was the only person living there. 'Take a deep breath,' she told herself as she took a few steps forward. She gave a contented smile when Van stepped to her side and took her hand in his own as they walked slowly to the door.

Fiona walked up to the door as Van stood off to the side. She hesitantly knocked on the door and it was opened up a few moments later by a lady that was between fifty and sixty years old. She seemed well kept for her age.

Her mother looked Fiona over a few moments before scowling slightly. "Oh, it's you," she said with a groan as she walked away from the door leaving it open so that Fiona could just walk in. "Don't just stand there, come in. We have a lot of stuff to talk about," she said taking a seat in a chair. She had failed to notice who was with Fiona the entire time.

Fiona walked into the room and took a seat across from her mother. She could already tell by the look on the woman's face that this wasn't going to be a very pleasant conversation. "It has been a while mother," Fiona said as politely as she could although she was tempted to just leave right then.

"Yes, I guess it has," she said pouring herself a cup of tea. "Tell me something, what is this I hear about you having an affair while you were with Ethan," she asked getting to the point of what had been told to her.

Fiona was appalled that her mother thought that she did that. More than likely that was what Ethan had talked to her about. The two of them were usually in pretty close contact. "I don't know what you have heard but I never had an affair while I was with him. He was just throwing around accusations just to make me sleep with him!" Fiona said angrily.

Her mother didn't even seem all that interested in her story. "Somehow I find that very doubtful. Ethan was a good guy and you hurt him by having an affair behind his back. He could have provided for you but he found out about your affair and dumped you," she said as if it were a matter of fact.

Van had had enough of hearing Fiona's own mother talk this way about her daughter. He had been standing off to the side out of view up until then and just couldn't take it anymore. "I don't know where you are getting your facts from but that is anything but true," Van pretty much yelled at her.

Fiona's mother stood up from her seat very quickly and turned to face Van. The scowl that was already on her face became even fiercer at the sight of the young man. "What the hell are you doing here? Can't you just stay out of my daughter's life before you ruin it more than you already have?" she said angrily as she glared daggers at him. Her fists were clenched at her sides and she was visibly shaking.

"I am ruining her life? It is more like you are. Giving her to a man who doesn't seem to have any guilty conscience about hitting his fiancée just because she wouldn't sleep with him. Just for you to know, she left him. She never had an affair. Even if you try she won' go back to him because she is with me again," Van said keeping his calm as he stared at the woman he was hating more and more each day.

"At east he knows what to do for a good life. He actually has money. She could benefit from that. Then you come back into her life and ruin all of that. Who cares if he hits her, at least he would be able to keep her in line," she growled at as she advanced towards Van but stopped when Fiona stood up quickly.

"I don't believe you would actually say that mother!" Fiona said angrily with tears forming in her eyes. She grabbed onto Van when he rushed to her side despite her mother attempts to stop him.

"Well it's true. I've given you a place to live ever since my bastard husband died and this is how you thank me? You are being very selfish Fiona. Stop think only about yourself and think about other. There is more people than just you in the world," her mother berated with a grim look on her face. It was the exact same as when she forced Fiona to go to that one college.

"What do you mean she is being selfish? Ever since she came here she has done everything that you have wanted. Yet you still treat her like crap. You do things because it will benefit you, not her. Come on Fiona," Van said lightly pulling her shaking form towards the door. He was definitely thinking it was a bad idea to take her now. He just thought it would be good for her to face that woman.

"Fiona, get back here this instant!" Fiona's mother said angrily watching her daughter walk away. "You will get nowhere with him Fiona. You will be living on the streets the rest of your life if you do!" she yelled but it didn't stop the two of them from walking away.

Fiona came to a stop much against Van's protests. She turned towards her mother with a monotonous face. "Do you want to know what Van does mother?" Fiona asked and Van was really trying to get her to stop. He didn't feel that her mother deserved to know.

The scowl on her face increased at her daughter's words. "I am guessing some low paying job that he isn't very good at anyways," she said taking a few steps towards Fiona but her daughter just took a few steps backwards.

"No, he runs a very successful business that makes billions of dollars every year. He may have gotten it from his father but since he took over it has prospered greater than it ever did before then," Fiona said before grabbing Van hand and pulling him out the door without waiting to hear or see her mother's expression.

"It's going to fail Fiona! With someone like him in charge it is only a matter of time before it does!" she yelled but her daughter didn't stop until she was in the car and it was pulling away from her quickly.

* * *

It was very silent after that. Van took a quick look at Fiona as she was shaking in her seat. It was obvious that the talk with her mother didn't have quite the effect that Van had intended for it to have. "You didn't have to tell her about that Fiona," he said calmly as he took her hand in his. 

"I know but it isn't like it is going to matter. Even if she did have this wonderful change of heart about you, she knows that she wouldn't be able to get anything from you because of your past with her," Fiona said silently as she gripped his hand tightly with her own.

"We should really be getting back. My mother probably has dinner ready for us and is wondering where we could have gone off to," Van said trying to lighten the situation a little. "Remember Fiona, even though you don't have much of a family right now, my family and I will always be there. They love you for who you are and see you as a daughter as well," he said with a smile.

Fiona couldn't help the smile that crossed her face at his comment. She knew that it was true. His family was always there for her when she needed it and she saw his parents as her own in a way or at least the closest things that she could get to one. "I know, thank you. Maybe I really did need to face up to her," she said kissing his cheek.

"You know Fiona, I haven't said it enough today but that sundress looks really good on you," Van said with a smirk. "I swear that I will get it off of you before the end of the night," he said with an even wider smirk but was shocked by her reaction to it. He laughed anyways.

Fiona couldn't help but laugh. "Do you promise?" she asked and felt the car jerk a little at her response. She laughed out loud and kissed him on the cheek again. "I will make sure you keep to that promise," she said leaning back in her seat. She was surprised that she said that but happy that she did. She wanted Van so badly right then.

Van got an evil smirk on his face at that moment. He saw that there were no cars on the road right then and placed a hand on Fiona's knee. Keeping his eyes on the road and one hand on the well he lightly massaged her knee slightly.

Fiona moaned slightly at the feeling and moved her knee for better contact. Her eyes snapped open when his hand left her knee and started to travel upwards a bit. She bit her lips from moaning but couldn't help but release it as his hand traveled under her dress and was placed over her with only the panties she was wearing covering it.

Van was skilled with driving a car so he knew he wasn't going to crash as long as he kept his eyes on the road. He stroked his fingers across her inner thigh and heard Fiona gasp out loud. He was holding back the chuckles that threatened to erupt from his throat. He loved to hear her squirm.

Fiona grabbed his hand but wasn't sure whether to push it away or pull it towards her. She didn't want to crash but by the looks of it Van had really good control over the car with on one hand on the steering wheel.

Van pulled his hands lightly out of Fiona's grip and lightly rubbed his hands across her panties. The friction it was causing made Fiona squirm even more. His hand came up and snapped the waistband of them slightly and Fiona gasped.

Fiona was holding back the need to jump on Van right then. She didn't want to crash so she just did her best to keep silent. That made it very difficult when his hand slipped into her panties and carefully teased her clit. She sucked in a breath through her gritted teeth.

Van couldn't help but chuckle seeing how wet she already was. "Anxious, aren't we?" he asked laughing as he pulled out of her and lightly licked the juices off his finger as he heard Fiona growl in frustration at the lack of his touch. "I need to drive," he said making her growl louder. He placed his hands back on the wheel and drove but couldn't hold back his chuckling.

Fiona was very frustrated with Van at that moment but knew that he would always do what he felt like and also that he loved teasing her just as much as he loved her. It was a very dangerous combination.

* * *

"What's the matter with you Fiona? You look a little flushed," Van's mother said when the two lovebirds returned from their day out. She had serious suspicions when she just saw Fiona blush even more at her comment. 

Van just walked in looking like he was ready to laugh his head off which made both his parents look at him curiously but he just ignored them and took a seat at the table since they had long since finished making dinner and had been waiting for them as he had thought.

"I'm fine," Fiona said finally getting her cheeks back to their original color as she took a seat at a table that was just far enough a ways away from Van's hands. She didn't want a repeat because she was frustrated enough.

"Oh come on Fiona. Why don't you sit next to Van? It is so good to see the two of you together again. Please?" his mother begged after seeing her take a seat a few chairs away from Van. She didn't want to see any distance between them ever again.

Fiona groaned and looked at Van who gave her an apologetic look. He held up his hands saying that he promised that he wouldn't do anything to her then. Then a smirk that clearly said that didn't mean that he wouldn't that night.

Fiona giggled slightly and got up and walked over to Van. No sooner had she sat down, than Van grabbed her hand under the table. She sighed in contentment and entwined her fingers with his as the smell of food caught her nose. Van's mother always made the best food around.

"Ah, it feels just like old time. The entire family is here again," Karin said a she scooped up some food from a plate and immediately dug into it in a very Van-like manner. There was no doubt whose son Van was. Looked like his father and acted like his mother. Unlike Maria who looked like her mother and acted like her father.

Mike was reaching for food that was out of reach or his small arms. "Must… have… food," he said in his struggle to reach the food. He was just about ready to jump onto the table and run at it but it was picked up before he could get it. "Hey! I was having that!" he yelled but he saw that it was only his mother and she served it up for him and he dug into it immediately.

Fiona looked around the table with a smile. She swore that Van's family had to be one of the weirdest families around but this is the type of family that she always wanted. It was a family that never forced her to do anything but be herself and that they would do the same for her.

After eating several servings of the food, Van stood up and yawned. Well this has been a delightful day but I think I should be getting some sleep. Are you going to come Fiona?' Van asked because he knew his family expected them to sleep in the same room. Whenever Fiona stayed over, it just had to be like that for the two of them.

"Sure," Fiona said getting his drift. She took his extended hand and was lifted to her feet. They both said goodbye to his parents and his sister and nephew and left towards the stairs quietly hand in hand.

Maria looked towards her parents and then towards her son. "That reminds me, it is time for bed for you as well. And no sneaking into Van's room like the last time," Maria said as her son groaned and then laughed mischievously before groaning again. "No complaints, come on now," she said standing up and ushering her son into a room that was a good distance from Van and Fiona's room. She had some suspicions and didn't want her son to hear anything if they were true. Especially since she knew that she probably couldn't do anything to stop them and that hr mother would stop her before she could try.

Van walked into the room and closed and locked the door before he turned to Fiona and kissed her deeply on the mouth leading her towards the bed. "I swore I would get that off of you and I always keep my promise," he said as he pushed her down on the bed and she went willingly. "Just try not to moan too loudly," he said kissing her neck

"Van, what about the kid. I don't think he will like trying to get to sleep if he does happen to hear something coming from in hear. Maybe we shouldn't," she said but was finding it hard to deny the tremendous amount of pleasure that Van was inflicting up her neck.

"He is quick to get to sleep. That is why I told you that you need to keep quiet though. I promise that I won't do anything to make you scream… too loudly," he added on the last part as an after thought before he once again attacked her neck.

* * *

Irvine suddenly found himself being thrown out of his own home by his own wife for reasons that he was unsure of. "What did I do?" he asked her but she slammed the door in his face. 'All I said was that she needed to stop those horrendous eating habits of hers or she would lose that lovely figure,' he thought trying to figure out what was wrong with her. 

"Why don't you figure that out by yourself!" she yelled at him before slamming the door into his face. She slid down the door and sat on the ground as she listened to him grumbling on the other side of the door. She then buried her head in her arms and released a large groan.


	16. Fiona's pain

Van's eyes opened up when he suddenly heard a sniffing sound coming from the last person her ever wanted to hear cry. He looked towards Fiona and saw her form shake slightly as she sniffed. "Fiona?" he asked placing a hand upon her shoulder but he felt her tense up underneath his touch.

Van grabbed Fiona's shoulders and turned her around. Her eyes were red as she stared at him. She leaned into Van's chest and cried into it as Van wrapped his arm around her. He rubbed her back trying to help sooth her. "What's wrong Fiona? Have I done anything to make these come?" Van asked wiping away a tear that fell down her face.

Fiona pulled away from Van's chest and stared up into the dark eyes that she fell in love with. "Am I really what my mother said about me?" Fiona asked trying to stop the tears that continued to fall.

Van sighed figuring that it had to do with that woman. "Of course not Fiona! She says stuff like that just to get under your skin and do what she wants. Why would you possibly think something like that?" Van asked never letting go of his hold on her.

"My dad always had high hopes for me. Can't help but think that maybe I am letting him down by doing what we have been doing. Like I am exactly as my mother has said," Fiona said feeling the tears start to come back up. She felt so good being with Van last night but that came to her mind afterwards and made her start to think.

Van looked at Fiona disappointed. "Fiona can I ask you a question?" Van asked and he just saw Fiona nod her head before he continued. "What is it that your father has always wanted for you?" Van asked placing his hands on her shoulders trying to get her to look straight at him since she was trying to look away.

"He once said that his soul purpose in life was to see me happy. Yet he always told me of all the ways that I could be happy and this is going against all that he told me," Fiona said looking away but she felt Van grab her chin and force her to look him in the eyes.

"Don't think like that Fiona. Do I make you happy?" he asked and she just nodded her head again. "Don't you think that maybe he would be happy for you if you were happy with me?" he asked and she finally looked at him and nodded her head. "  
Then what is the problem?" he asked her with a lot of kindness in his voice.

"He would be happy that I am happy but I feel that he would be disappointed if he knew I was having sex before marriage. He always told me that I would be happiest with the person who is willing to wait that long for it," she said sadly once again looking away.

"I think he would have wanted you to try and do things for yourself Fiona. He gave you his ideals but he would have also wanted you to live your life the way that makes you happiest. Do you regret all that we have done?" Van asked with his own sadness in his voice.

"No… not really. I just feel like I am letting him down. Do you think any less of me since I couldn't keep to what I have tried to stick to all of my life?" Fiona asked looking at him and leaning her forehead against his chest.

"Of course not Fiona. Your father put you in the right direction but I think that he would want you to find your own path to walk. Now please stop crying," he said holding her tightly to him. He was afraid to let her go for fear that she would leave him in her regret.

"I'm sorry. I guess I am just being silly. You are probably right to," she said looking up at him and immediately his lips crashed against her in a very passionate kiss. He broke away from her and she just stared at him with love filled eyes. "Lets go back to sleep," she muttered with a small smile.

"Yeah. First we might want to get dressed. Knowing my mom she will come bursting in her in…" he said looking at the clock and seeing that it was five in the morning. "Two maybe three hours and we don't want her catching us in a strange position," he said making Fiona giggle as he got up and just put on a pair of boxers.

Fiona did the same but just grabbed her underwear and a rather large t-shirt and throwing them on before crawling back into bed with Van. "I'm so tired," she said rest her head against his chest and allowing his heartbeat to lull her back into a blissful sleep.

The two of them slept peacefully and happily after that until the door to the room suddenly burst open and Van's mother came walking in with happy smile but she was saddened to see that the two of them still had clothes on. 'Still nothing?' she asked herself slightly depressed.

"Mom! Can't you knock?" Van asked quickly grabbing his shirt off the ground and throwing it over his head. "Plus we don't appreciate being woken up so early also," he grumbled although he knew that he should have expected this much from his mother from the countless times she has done it to the two of them before.

Fiona just groaned and ignored it all while burying her head into the pillow. Except for after her talk with Van, she wasn't able to sleep as much as she wanted to. "Can you please keep it down? I am still tired," Fiona grumbled to the two of them.

Karin just blinked at the young woman. "Oh… sorry. I will just leave you alone for now," she said walking out of the door leaving Van and Fiona alone in the room again. 'I will just check up later,' she thought thinking of any future grandchildren. She walked away with a bright smile on her face.

Van groaned and fell back onto the bed with Fiona. His shirt was off again and he wrapped his arms around Fiona. The previous day had been a long day and he knew they needed a little more sleep. They were on vacation after all.

* * *

Crougar walked into Irvine's office because he needed to have a word with him but was surprised to find the young man asleep on the sofa that was sitting off to the side. He walked up and shook the young man. "Wake up!" he said not liking Irvine sleeping on the job. 

Irvine jumped up slightly and rubbed his eyes. "What do you want old man. I haven't had a very good night and I need to get some sleep. Especially since everything has suddenly been dumped on me. I hope all this media dies down soon. I can't deal with both Van's and mine own work for much longer," Irvine said with a yawn.

"What did Moonbay do this time, kick you out of the house?" Crougar asked figuring that as the reason that he was currently sleeping in his office. He saw Irvine nod in confirmation. "Whatever it is, its work hours now so get to work," Crougar reprimanded before walking out. He had completely forgotten what he wanted to talk to Irvine about in the first place.

Irvine grumbled. Technically, Crougar wasn't in charge anymore but Irvine was still forced to listen to him order people around. He got up with a yawn and walked over towards the desk. He just knew that this was going to be a long day. He just wished he knew what Moonbay was so mad at him about.

* * *

Van walked down the stairs alone since Fiona was still resting. She looked a little pale though. 'Maybe she is sick,' he thought hoping not because it would ruin their vacation. He just hoped that she was tired and that was it. 

His mother was at the table sipping some coffee. It was still only ten in the morning at the time. She looked up when she heard Van coming down. "Fiona didn't come with you?" she asked not seeing the blonde haired beauty following after her only son.

"Nah. She is too tired to even get out of bed. I will just let her sleep. There was something that I wanted to go check up on anyways. Something that would be best if she didn't come with me," he said and his mother just nodded trusting her son not to do anything stupid.

Van just walked silently out to his car and then drove for about fifteen minutes until he pulled into a park. It wasn't a place that he really wanted to go to be he wanted to see if something that he left was still there.

His face scrunched up as memories of what happened the last time that he was there. 'That was in the past. She is with me now and that is all that I really care about,' he thought as he leaned against a tree.

That was where it had happened. This was where his last few moments with Fiona before she broke up with him were at. He was standing in his current position when it happened. When his world just started to get darker and darker. It was only recently started to become bright again when he got back together with Fiona.

'I think that if I don't say this now it will probably end up being far too difficult to say later. So, I think it would be best if we just broke up.' those words still haunted his mind even today. He was afraid that it would happen again. He lost her once and it would hurt too much to lose her again.

He kneeled down and sat next to a root that was sticking up into the air slightly. 'Think about it now. You can probably find someone better than me,' he remembered her saying as his hand reached under the root and into a small hole that he had found years ago.

'Yeah and look where that has gotten me. Tiffany won't leave me alone. I wish she would just accept that I love Fiona far too much," he said and was surprised when he felt something in the hole. He thought it would have been found by then. So he was really surprised that it was still there.

His hand came out of the hole in the tree and it was clenched into a fist over the object. He opened his hand slowly to take in the sight of a small black velvety box that he had left in the tree that day seven years ago. He opened it up and just stared at the small ring inside.

Flashback

Van was rushing through the crowds that surrounded him. He saw Irvine and Moonbay rushing after him and ended up running into several people. "Hurry up you two. I can really use some help on this," Van said finally breaking into an area that wasn't quite crowded anymore.

"Maybe you should slow down Van! We can't really keep up with you with all the crowds that are around here!" Moonbay yelled and her face suddenly grew white as she felt some pervert grab her ass. She turned around quickly and slapped the man before storming to catch up to Van.

"No kidding. Why is it that you asked us to come anyways? You would always ask Fiona for this sort of thing. So why not just ask for her help?" Irvine asked finally squeezing through and catching up with Van.

Van looked at the two of them. That's the problem. I can't ask her for this sort of thing. I would love to but that would just ruin what I have planned," he said finally walking in several different direction trying to find a specific sport. "Come on. I want to do this quickly. I have to meet Fiona later," he said coming to a stop trying to remember where the store was at.

"What is this about if you can't ask for Fiona's opinion and instead ask for ours?" Moonbay asked as she looked around trying to get some clue as to where it was that Van was taking them.

Van stopped looking around and blushed slightly. "What would you two say if I told you that I was planning on proposing to Fiona?" Van asked a bit shyly. He didn't know why he needed to feel shy around the two of them.

Both Irvine and Moonbay jumped back in surprise. "Don't you think maybe you are a little young for that Van? I am glad that you are thinking about that but we all are just out of high school," Moonbay said but she couldn't help but smile at the rather determined look that Van had on him at that moment.

"I know we are still young but I just can't imagine my life without her. I am just afraid that maybe she won't say yes if I do," Van said finally spotting a small jewelry store that was in a corner of the mall. He had saved up for this but didn't have a lot of money to spend and he didn't want his father's help for this.

Fiona hadn't been talking to him lately. That was probably the route of his fear that she would reject him. He would do this though. 'I know she loves me. There is a good chance she will accept,' Van thought with a smile as he walked into the store.

"Well if that is the case, then I will be more than happy to help you. Irvine will help to. Won't you Irvine?" Moonbay asked elbowing Irvine in the stomach with a smirk on her face. She heard him just mumbled but knew that as a yes. "Now lets see what we can do,' Moonbay said going into the store.

End Flashback

The ring in his hand was the final result after hours of searching. It was beautiful just for Fiona and was within his price range. He was going to do that just before she broke up with him but when he heard her words he was more into just trying to make her stay with him than anything else.

He had put the ring there as a reminder of what he had lost. He told himself he would only get it when he had Fiona back. He wasn't going to use it yet. Things were still a bit fragile between him and Fiona because of their previous relationships or in Van's case, marriage.

"Van?" a voice said startling him a bit making him quickly hide the case out of the view of the blonde haired woman who had obviously followed him. "Didn't expect to see you come back here. I was hoping to avoid it," Fiona said taking a seat next to Van.

"Yeah but I figured that I had to put some things behind me. You found your peace with your mother but I still have a lot of things that I need to put behind me. Don't blame yourself for it Fiona. You did what you felt you needed to do. So I don't blame you. I just wish that it didn't end the way it did," he said with a small but fake chuckle.

Fiona laid her head on Van's shoulder feeling good at the words that Van said. "I am still sorry though. What was that you were looking at?" she said since she saw him looking at something but was unable to see what it was.

"Oh it's nothing Fiona. Just something I found on the ground," he lied but he could tell by the look on Fiona's face that she wasn't completely satisfied with his lie and knew he wasn't telling her the truth. "What?" he asked nervously.

"You're lying Van. Please tell me," she said trying to look around him but he kept moving out of view. "Oh come on!" she said diving over him and managed to grab what he was trying so desperately to hide.

She opened it up to see the ring. "Van?" Fiona asked nervously but he just shook his head no. "Why do you have something like this Van? You are technically still married until the divorce is final," she said as her hands shook staring at it.

"I am not planning to use it Fiona. Once I did think about that. I planned to use it that night but I never got the chance to. That just made things so much worse when you broke up with me," he said sadly figuring some sort of bad reaction to this.

Fiona was in shock. She stood up quickly and just dropped the ring on the ground. 'He was going to propose to me then. How could I have done what I did?' she asked herself before turning around and running off.

"Fiona!" Van yelled standing up but she was already too far gone. It was just like that night. He was too frozen in shock to follow after her. 'No, I will not lose her again! I am not going to let her get away!' he thought running in the direction that he had seen her running in.

* * *

Fiona ran for a long time. She just didn't want to stop. Her heart was pounding and she wanted to cry again. The truth just hit her harder than Van probably thought it would. Her choice was the biggest mistake of her life. 

'H-he was going to propose to me?' she asked herself leaning against a wall and wiping the tears from her eyes. 'Had things been different, I could have been married to Van and had children with him by now. Why did it have to turn out this way?' she thought wiping away more tears.

She had no doubts in her mind that if things hadn't been the way they had because of her mother, that she would have accepted Van's proposal without a second thought. She was so in love with him then as well as now. 'I wish that he had asked me. I would have accepted no matter what circumstances I was in, but I didn't think he was interested in marriage right then. I didn't want to hold him back from the great things I know he would be able to do,' she thought as her body shook while she tried to keep in her tears.

"Excuse me Miss," she heard someone say and looked up in green eyes. "I thought it was you," the young blonde haired man said looking Fiona over. He saw her confusion and smiled. "Remember that business party a few months ago? I was there with my brother Karl Shubaltz. My name is Thomas Shubaltz," he said with a proud smile.

Fiona thought about it but then she remembered how he was the one that was staring at her the whole time. "Oh… yeah. I think I remember you," Fiona said a little nervously. She didn't want to talk to him. She really wanted to think about what she found out today.

"Wow this is amazing. It must be fate that we both are here in this small town at the same time," he said with a childish laugh. "Why were you crying Miss…" he said realizing he didn't know her name. He had been thinking about her since that night and yet he never learned her name.

"It's Fiona. And it isn't any of your business," she said more angry at herself than she was at him. She knew he was just trying to be kind but she just wanted to be left alone and he didn't seem to be doing that.

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to see if you are alright. Hey, I was just about to get something to eat. Would you like to join me?" he asked holding out a hand to her but frowned when she just took a step back. "Is something the matter?" he asked with a look of hurt on his face.

Fiona was about respond when a voice that she was longing to hear yelled, "Fiona!" she turned and saw Van running towards her. She couldn't help but notice how relieved he looked to see her.

'He probably thought I might do what I did back then and just run. I can't do that again. I just feel so bad for what I did. He was going to propose and instead all I did was break his heart,' she thought with a small frown. "Van," she said looking towards the ground. She had completely forgotten about Thomas.

Thomas looked up and growled when he saw Van. "Man! I just can't seem to get away from you can I?" he yelled catching both Van and Fiona's attention to him. "Why exactly are you here anyways?" Thomas growled because him and Van never got along in the few times they saw each other.

Van's eyes narrowed with an annoyed look. "I was born and raised here. What's your excuse?" Van asked in a bored tone. He thought he would get away from everything and relax but he knew it wouldn't be that easy considering that Thomas was here. He had moderate skill in business and had a rather large mouth.

"Business," Thomas said groaning since he knew that Van had the best excuse for being here. "Anyways I was just asking this lovely young lady to lunch. So can you make like a tree and get out of here?" Thomas asked trying to push Van away.

"It's make like a tree and leaf you idiot!" Van said feeling like laughing at how stupid Thomas could be at times. "Besides, you can't take her out. She is my girlfriend!" he said more frustrated this time than anything.

Thomas growled in annoyance. "Don't you already have a wife? Leave her alone because you can only be leading her on! You are already cheating on your wife because of Fiona," Thomas said narrowing his eyes at Van. He just hoped that things hadn't gone very far between Van and Fiona.

"I cannot be cheating on my wife because I am no longer with her. We are getting a divorce. Maybe you should keep up with the news. There sure has been a lot of it nowadays," an aggravated Van said glaring at Thomas.

Thomas opened his mouth as if to say something but closed it since he knew that there wasn't anything he could say in response to that. "Why don't we just leave it to Fiona to decide," Thomas said with a smirk turning towards Fiona only to see that the young woman had disappeared from view. "Huh? Where'd she go?" he asked very confused. He had never even seen her leave.

"What? Oh no! Fiona!" Van yelled running off without even a goodbye to Thomas. Van didn't care what happened that day years ago. He had told her that several times. So he just couldn't figure out why she continuously took it as hard as she did. He just wanted both of them to put the past behind them.

He had searched for at least an hour before taking a break. She obviously didn't want to be found but he didn't give a damn and swore that he would find her. He had seen Thomas looking but it was all in places that he had already checked so he didn't even bother to mention anything. The guy was trying to take his girl after all.

Van's head suddenly snapped up. A thought came to him and he knew that it was probably right. He knew where Fiona was at. If she wanted to think she went to someplace calm and peace. Anything in the middle of the city, even a park, wasn't completely peaceful. He knew of the perfect place where she would go.

* * *

Fiona just sat on a small bench looking at the beautiful flowers in Van's mother's garden. She wanted to forget but the more she heard about back then, the more that she felt angry at herself for putting Van through such stuff. To learn that he was going to propose broke her heart. 

When Van and Thomas had gotten into that argument, she saw her opportunity to get away and think. She wouldn't leave though. That would only be a repeat of seven years ago and that was not something that she wished upon Van. From what she heard, he suffered for years after that.

"Oh!" Fiona heard someone gasp upon walking into the garden. "I thought you had gone after Van," Karin said holding a hose in her hands ready to give the beautiful flowers their daily water. "Are you ok Fiona?" Karin asked seeing the look that was in Fiona's eyes.

Fiona looked up at the closest thing she had to a real mother. The one who gave birth to her didn't count. She just gave a weak smile before looking down. She felt Karin sit next to her and place a hand on her shoulder. "Did you know what Van was going to do that day?" she asked knowing the older woman would know what she was talking about.

Karin looked at the younger woman sadly. "It is a pity that things turned out the way that they did. You would have made a lovely bride to my son. He was going on about it for days and days before that day. It hurt me to see how depressed he had become after that. Nothing we tried to do seemed to have any effect on him," Karin said not holding the least bit of resentment in her voice for some reason.

"I wish I could just turn back time and stop myself from running away from him," Fiona muttered and Karin just patted her back. "Why is it that you don't resent me for what I have done? I hurt your son!" Fiona said because that had been on her mind for a while.

"I see that you had no intention of actually hurting him. You were just doing what you though were best for him. Don't be sad about what happened in the past Fiona. You have all the time in the world now to make it up to him. I also know of the perfect way for you to do that," she said with a mischievous smile.

Fiona blushed in embarrassment because she knew what Karin was talking about. It was all she ever talked about. 'She already has one grandchild, so why so insistent for more? She seems even more determined than before,' Fiona thought staring at the beaming woman.

Karin was about to talk when she heard someone run into the garden. She didn't even have to look to know that it was her son. "I think I will just leave you two alone," she said with a smile as she stood up and walked away.

Van was hesitant but stepped forward. "Don't run away. Please don't," he pleaded with her and was glad when she stayed put. "I know you are feeling bad but please don't. I'm past it Fiona. You should be too," he said taking a seat next to her.

Fiona looked slightly away but was suddenly forced back around and pulled into the arms of the one that she loved most. "I can't help it Van. The more I think about it, the bigger of a mistake I see it. A huge mistake that was all my fault," she said burying her head into his chest.

"Don't talk like that Fiona. You and I both know that it wasn't your fault. I would have known if you were intentionally trying to hurt me. If that was the case, I wouldn't have even considered getting back together with you. That is how much I love you," he said burying his face in her fragrant hair.

"It is my fault though. I should have fought back more. I shouldn't have let her rule my life so easily. I was trying too hard to impress her that I hurt the person closest to me. Now I feel like I don't deserve you," she said as a few tears fell down her face soaking into his shirt.

"That is my choice and I say that you do. If that is how you feel though," he said with a smirk as he saw her horrified face. "Why don't we start over, from the beginning? Pretend as if we never had a past together. Forget everything bad that has happened," he said with a smile.

"Even if we pretended we would never be able to forget," Fiona said with a small chuckle. "And it is a little late to go that far back," she said but this time she released a blush at the thoughts of all the times they made love.

"Yeah I guess you are right. What do you think we should do? Get married?" he joked but he knew Fiona well enough o know she wasn't ready yet. She was trying to get over so many things at once.

Fiona looked up into his eyes with her sad ones. "Even if you were to ask, I would probably say no. Things are just moving a little too fast and it is becoming a bit too overwhelming. I mean we just got back together and we are doing things I wouldn't normally do," she said clutching onto him.

Van looked down at her understanding her perfectly. "You're right Fiona. Why don't we just slow things down a bit for now? Go back to more of just a dating level. Sadly… no more sex," he said with a pout that made Fiona giggle. "I can handle that though. If it means that we can make this relationship even better than before," he said glad to hear her laugh again.

"That sounds good Van. I really want this all to work but I just need a little more time to put some more things behind me," she said feeling his hold on her tighten. "I won't leave again though. Never again," she said holding onto him tightly.

Van just smiled and leaned down and kissed her lips which she more than happily reciprocated. "Maybe this is all I really need Fiona. Never anything more or less," he said kissing her lips again.

Hiding behind a large bush, Karin smiled at the scene but frowned knowing that things would be going too slow for her wants. She knew she was right about their sexual life because of what she heard Van say. She was kind of wishing that maybe something happened because of it. Fiona was always so careful though so she knew not to expect much. "Too slow," she grumbled to herself walking back to the house.


	17. Moonbay

Claire Lynette sat in front of a fire with a glass of wine in her hands. She appeared to be a bit drunk at that moment as she just stared into the fire. There was a deep scowl on her face that would scare anyone around them away.

"He just couldn't stay away," she growled angrily as she remembered the encounter with her daughter and Van a week before. "He is ruining everything for me," she said taking a sip of the wine before throwing the now empty glass into the fire.

She scowled as she saw the flames leap up a bit. "Stupid George. It should have been mine but you give it to her. Did you really not trust me that much?" she asked no one in specific since the one she was speaking about had died nearly twelve years before so he couldn't possibly answer the question.

"Now that she is back with Van, I will have no access to it. You give her twenty million dollars in your final will and yet I get absolutely nothing even though I was your faithful wife forthree god damn years," she said grabbing another glass and some more wine.

"The only way Fiona can get the money is if she married. I tried to get someone who is willing to help me and not be interested in the money. Ethan was the perfect person. He had no interest in the money but wanted my virgin daughter. She had to ruin everything by going to Van Flyheight," she said taking a large gulp of the wine in her hand.

"She always had been a lot stronger when she was with him. I try and get any of the money and they won't give me any. I thought I could rely on Ethan but he has failed and she probably no longer has what he wanted the most," she thought staring through the glass at the fire.

"Damn you Van Flyheight! You always ruin everything!" she yelled throwing the second glass into the fire before she got up and stormed out of that room and towards her own. She knew she wouldn't get much sleep but she figured that she could at least try to sleep.

* * *

Van and Fiona yawned as they stepped off a plane back at their current home. They spent a good two weeks away before they felt they had spent long enough time away. Yet they wished that they didn't have to leave. They felt so comfortable with Van's family. 

Their plane came in when it was late at night. They found that it would be easier to get around without being seen that way. People wouldn't be able to recognize them in the dark. They just hoped that everything had calmed down completely so they could just live peacefully.

Fiona took a quick look at Van. Despite the choice that she had made, he seemed perfectly fine with it. She couldn't help but smile at him for that which he gladly returned to her. "It feels nice to be back," Fiona said looking around the city that had been her home for over a year.

"Yeah but I would rather be back with my family. It just feels more of a home to me there than this place ever has in the several years that I've been living here," Van said wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her close to him. "But with you, anything would feel like home," she said pecking her lips really quickly.

Fiona just smiled and gave him a kiss back before climbing into the car that was there waiting for them when they got back. "It has been fun but I just want to get back home and get to sleep," she said with a smile as she closed her eyes.

"We'll do that but I have to make a quick stop by the office. Is that ok with you?" he asked and saw Fiona just nod her head sleepily so he just went with it and drove in the direction of the giant building that he owned.

By the time that he got there, Fiona was already fast asleep in the chair next to him. He figured that he should just let her sleep and went in by himself up to his office where he wanted to grab a few files that Irvine said needed his attention when he got back.

Van was about to walk into his office when he heard one that came from Irvine's. He didn't think that Irvine stayed there all that late. He carefully walked over incase it was a thief or something and opened the door a crack but he just saw a tired looking Irvine inside.

He opened the door all the way and walked in as Irvine looked up and he seemed to brighten up a bit. "Thank god your back," Irvine said in a tired tone which only seemed to accentuate his bloodshot eyes. "I was going crazy. I don't know how you could possibly do this everyday," Irvine said leaning back in his seat.

"Take s a lot of practice and time. Looks like things have held up though. Why are you here so late at night? Shouldn't you be at your home with Moonbay?" Van asked only to notice Irvine's expression darken a bit at the mention of his wife. "Did something happen to the two of you?" Van asked hesitantly.

"How the hell am I supposed to know what is going on? She just kicked me out of the house shortly after you left and I haven't been able to get in contact with her since then. Man, she is having some rather hard mood swings lately and all the swings are being directed at me," he said banging his head on the desk in frustration.

Van just sighed because this wasn't new between the two of them. "Look, I am sure that everything is fine but I will see if Fiona can talk to Moonbay. Fiona should be able to figure out what is up with Moonbay," Van said before turning around. "Get some sleep. You look like you haven't slept in weeks," Van said teasingly.

"Yeah thanks," Irvine said sarcastically. "I will remember that as I try to get to sleep on that cold hard couch over there," he said pointing towards a leather couch that was obviously not meant for sleeping on.

"Ok then, have a nice night," he said with a chuckle before getting out of the room quickly before Irvine could retaliate. He just laughed as he walked over to his office and quickly grabbed the files that he'd come to get before heading back down to the car.

When he got to the car, he saw that Fiona was already awake and waiting for him. "Got what I needed," he said throwing the file into the back seat of the car before pulling himself out of his normal parking space.

Fiona just smiled and nodded at Van before a question came to her mind. One that had been there since she woke up. "Why didn't you wake me up Van?" Fiona asked with a yawn while turning to look at him.

Van didn't even need to think before he answered her question. "I thought I was going to be quick and you were sleeping so peacefully that I just couldn't bring myself to wake you up," he said keeping his eyes on the road although he kept sneaking Fiona some glances every few seconds.

"Oh, why did it take you so long to get back then? I woke up shortly after you got out and I waited for a while for you to get back. It shouldn't take that long to get there and get back," she said looking at him curiously.

"I met up with Irvine up there. Oh that reminds me. Do you think when you have time if you can go talk to Moonbay? Apparently she kicked him out of their house and he does know why. He can't seem to get in contact with her either," Van said remembering the entire conversation clearly.

"I hope everything is alright with them. Where is he sleeping then?" she asked and just received a quick glance from Van which she understood. "You could have offered to give him a place to stay!" Fiona said glaring at Van.

Van groaned knowing he wasn't getting out of this. He tried to reply but her glare just shut him up. "Fine, fine! Why don't you call him and tell him then," Van said handing her his cell phone. 'I was hoping for a quiet night with Fiona too,' he said groaning as Fiona talked to Irvine on the phone.

Fiona hung up the phone with a giggle. "He says thank you although he is sure that I was the one who thought of it and you argued about it," she said with a smile as Van groaned in annoyance.

Van shook his head with a groan of despair at not being alone with Fiona "Well he better keep quiet then. He has a tendency to be a bit noisy when he does stuff like this," Van said because he was always forced to house Irvine while he was at odds with Moonbay.

Van and Fiona pulled into their lovely beach home with a smile on their faces. It was definitely good to be back in their beautiful home. "Home sweet home," Van said with a smile as he opened the door and walked in.

Van just walked to their room without waiting for Irvine because he knew that Irvine had his own key. Van gave it to him in case of an emergency. He just wanted to get to sleep. "Come on Fiona. Let's get to bed. Irvine will be able to get in himself so don't worry about him," Van said grabbing her hand and pulling her to their room.

Both of them got changed really quickly and then got into bed. Van pulled Fiona as close to him as he could. Both of them drifted off to sleep quickly not realizing that Irvine had come in several minutes later but he was quiet and just found a comfy bed and fell asleep as well.

* * *

With a yawn, Fiona got out of the comfortable bed and walked towards their bathroom. She only took a quick shower before drying herself and throwing on a robe and heading towards the kitchen to get some much needed coffee. 

She entered the kitchen and jumped slightly at the sight of Irvine. She had completely forgotten that she offered him a place to stay. She calmed down after a second and smiled. "Good morning Irvine," she said heading over to the coffee maker and poured herself some coffee and putting some salt in it.

"Morning Fiona," he said looking towards her and his face went into one of disgust. "I have said it once and I will say it again, salt in coffee is just disgusting. How can you stand to drink that day after day?" Irvine said pretending to make a gagging noise as he said it.

"You may not like it but I do," she said with a small smile and then jumped when two arms wrapped around her waist out of nowhere. She knew it was Van but it just surprised her by his sudden appearance.

Both Van and Irvine laughed at her reaction but they both shut up when she glared at both of them. "Oh come on Fiona. Don't be like that," Van said kissing the back of her neck. She seemed to be getting into it until a coughing sound was heard.

"I really don't need to be seeing stuff like this," Irvine said suddenly losing his appetite for the eggs that were in front of him. "Do any of you have a clue as to why Moonbay acted the way that she did? She seemed just fine the day before," Irvine said changing the subject to stop the lovey-dovey acts between the two.

"No idea but I will be sure to ask her about it when I go talk to her later in the day. I am sure that she is fine and she will take you back," Fiona said with a smile before dislodging herself from Van and then walking back into their room to get changed.

Van watched her escape him with a frown. He would rather have her in his arms. He turned around and faced Irvine. "How has the media been around here since I left? Has she made any appearances on the news?' Van asked a little bitterly at the mere mention of his ex-wife.

"She has been at it pretty much non-stop since you left. Moonbay and I had a bit of a run-in with her which ended pretty badly," Irvine said taking a sip out of his coffee. "Hopefully it will die down once the divorce is final. By the way, when are you going to get to it?" Irvine asked out of curiosity.

"Either today or tomorrow I will talk to someone about it. Tiffany will probably drag it out as much as possible. She will want a lot out of this divorce if it is actually going to happen. My father made her sign a prenuptial. She will probably do anything to get around it," Van said pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"Everyone was telling you it was a mistake. I wished you had believed us so that you could save yourself all of the trouble you are about to go through," Irvine said with a small chuckle that held little meaning.

"I wish I'd believed you," Van said with a sigh as he sat down in a chair and leaned back in it. He was all ready to get back to work but was just waiting for Fiona to get finished getting changed. He had a serious want to go in there with her though. 'Settle down Van, you and Fiona agreed not to have anymore of that for now,' he thought with a sad sigh.

Fiona came out of the room a few moments later dressed very professionally. It took a lot of begging on her part but Van was finally letting her come back to work after the three weeks she had been out. She knew she had to work extra hard to get caught up with things that were going on.

She walked up to Van and kissed him on the cheek with a smile on her face. "Shouldn't we all get going or else we are going to be late. Even though you are the owners, it doesn't excuse you from your duties," she said with a smile as she walked to the door happily.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, only you can be excited about going to work day after day," Van said with a playful smirk and laughed when she just smacked his arm. "You're right though, lets go," he said standing up and taking her hand they walked out the door with Irvine following closely behind them.

* * *

Fiona sighed and looked up at the clock and saw that it was only eleven in the morning. They both had so much backed up work because Irvine couldn't take it all combined with his own work. Fiona smiled knowing that they had already gotten most of it done. 

A mug of hot coffee was placed in front of her. She was thankful because she was so tired and needed the wake up call that the coffee would give him. "Thanks Van," she said grabbing it and taking a long sip out of it.

Van grabbed a seat and pulled it up to her smaller desk. "Are you planning to go talk to Moonbay on your break?" Van asked and received a nod in reply. "Good because I would rather it just be the two of us at night," he said with a smirk at her blush.

"Get your head out of the gutter Van!" Fiona said lightly hitting him upside the head but it didn't stop her from laughing too. "Yeah, which reminds me that it is just about that time as well," she said taking another look at the clock.

"Go ahead. I will take care of things now. It will give you a little extra time to pry things out of her," he said chuckling a bit at the thought of it. "Go already," he said pushing her towards the door although she refused a little. "If you are worried about the work, we are almost caught up so don't worry about it," he said giving her one last push out the door.

Fiona just sighed when the door closed and she could hear the lock click afterwards meaning that Van wasn't going to let her back in. 'Oh well. I guess this is important as well. Irvine hasn't exactly been doing his job because he is getting distracted. It's no wonder we fell so far behind,' she thought heading towards the elevator.

She headed down to the garage before she remembered that she didn't have a car of her own right now. Her old one wouldn't start and was still at Ethan's place. She just couldn't go back to get it.

"Oh Miss Lynette!" a security guard said as she stepped out of the elevator on the garage level. "Mr. Flyheight told me to give these to you saying that he would probably forget if he didn't," he said handing her a set of keys that didn't look like that that went to Van's car.

Fiona stared at them for a second before looking back up at the middle-aged standing before her. "Um… thank you," she said with a small smile that brought a smile to the aging man's face.

Fiona took a few steps out. She knew they didn't go to Van's car so she clicked a small button and heard a beeping sound from nearby. She walked in that direction and saw a car that she absolutely loved. It had pretty much everything she liked. 'Leave it to Van to get me something like this. I wish I could have used my own money to get one though,' she thought crawling into the car and starting it up listening to the engine smoothly coming to life.

"Well, at least he still knows what I like in a car," she said with a smile as she admired the interior of the convertible car. She pulled it out of its space and driving out of the garage safely heading to Moonbay's place.

'I wonder what could possibly have upset her so much to kick Irvine out of their home. Doesn't sound like Irvine's done anything wrong. So something else must be going on but I don't know what,' Fiona thought as she pulled into the driveway. She saw Moonbay's car there so she knew that Moonbay was there as well.

Fiona got out of her car and walked up to the door and knocked on it. She heard footsteps inside and the next moment the door opened and Moonbay appeared with a scowl on her face before it suddenly turned into a happy one. "Fiona!" Moonbay said happily embracing her friend.

"Hello Moonbay. It is good to see you again," she said with a small chuckle at Moonbay's actions. "Listen; there was something I wanted to talk to you about. Can we go inside?" Fiona asked and with a nod from Moonbay, the two women walked into the house and sat on a couch.

"You thirsty?" Moonbay asked and Fiona just shook her head no so Moonbay just shrugged and sat down on the couch. "So, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?' she said with a small smile which hid something underneath.

"I actually want to talk to you about what is going on with Irvine," Fiona said and she heard Moonbay groan before standing up and walking into a different room in a rather big hurry. It was obvious that this was a subject that she didn't want to talk about but Fiona was intent on getting to the bottom of it.

Fiona stood up and followed after Moonbay. She ran into the room Moonbay walked into and found her lying down on a bed. "What's going on Moonbay? You usually don't avoid questions like this," Fiona said with a light glare at the slightly older woman than her.

Moonbay looked towards Fiona. "I don't know what you are talking about Fiona," she said and noticed the small glare on Fiona's part. "Fine something is going on!" she said finally conceding to Fiona.

Fiona took a seat on the bed next to Moonbay. She placed a hand upon her shoulder. "What's happening Moonbay? Did Irvine do something to you?" Fiona asked and Moonbay just shrugged her shoulders. "How can you not know? He either did or he didn't do anything," Fiona said confused about Moonbay's answer.

Moonbay just sat up on the bed and leaned against the back of it. "He did but it wasn't something bad, I guess," Moonbay said with a nervous look on her face. That was definitely not a normal thing on this normally very confident young woman.

That definitely started to get Fiona's interest so she paid even more attention to it than she did before. "Please tell me what is going on. If Irvine didn't do anything wrong then why did you kick him out/" Fiona asked with a million other question swarming through her head.

"Damn it! I am not the type cut out for this type of situation. You were more meant for this, not me. I always thought you would be a mother first!" Moonbay said growing more and more frustrated.

Fiona was absolutely stunned at Moonbay's confession. "Are you sure Moonbay? Are you really pregnant?" Fiona asked actually sounded excited about it. She always loved young babies and hoped to have one of her own someday, preferably with Van. Things were definitely heading in that direction.

"I'm not positive but I am late. I guess I have been too afraid to go see a doctor about it or too nervous to go out and buy one of those tests. I just needed some time alone which was why I kicked Irvine out of the house," Moonbay said banging her head against the wall.

"Why don't you sound excited about it Moonbay? Having a baby sounds like such wonderful news!" Fiona said happily and all she received was a groan from Moonbay in return. "How are you going to tell Irvine if you actually are?" she asked and Moonbay bolted all the way up on the bed.

"Shit! I didn't think about that yet!" Moonbay growled looking like she was about to pull the hair out of her head. "What am I going to do? What am I going to do?" Moonbay kept repeating as she got up and started to pace around the room.

"Well for one, please quit pacing around, you are making me dizzy. Number two is to go and see a doctor. You need to see if this is the real thing or just a scare. I will help you with Irvine afterwards but just do this," Fiona instructed.

"You sure sound confident, as if you have gone through this before," Moonbay said eyeing Fiona before breaking out in laughter. "I'm just kidding. You always were the smart one out of all of us," she said with a laugh. "I guess you are right though. I need to do this and find out the answers to my problem as quickly as possible," she said with a very weak smile.

"Come on Moonbay. For you, the sooner that you get this done, the sooner things can get back to normal," Fiona said grabbing Moonbay's hand and dragging her out of the house and towards her new car.

* * *

Things seemed to settle down as the week passed. Fiona and Moonbay went out and got a pregnancy test. In what Moonbay considered lucky, it came out negative. Fiona had some doubts about it but didn't say anything. 

Irvine was finally out of the house and back in his own with Moonbay. She seemed extra happy to not be but there also seemed to be a little disappointment which she almost cleverly hid from the eyes of those around her. She didn't tell Irvine because she didn't think it was too important since the test said she wasn't.

"She still isn't going to tell him?" Van asked Fiona as he laid back on the bed and stared at his lovely girlfriend. Fiona had told him what happened but made it clear that he wasn't to tell Irvine anything about what was wrong.

"No. she says that since it was negative there is no reason to bring it up. I am upset though. I thought it would have been great if they had one. I love children," she said with a smile and was suddenly pulled onto the bed and onto Van.

"Don't worry about it. You will have some of your own someday and I will be help in any way I can," Van said with a smirk as he kissed the top of Fiona's head. He heard her sigh and his hands started to move down her body.

"Van!" Fiona said in a warning tone that left no room for arguments. "We agreed not to," she said taking his hand off her ass and looking into his eyes that had a playful look in them. It slightly unnerved her but also made her blush a bit at the same time.

"I know but I am just having a little fun," he said before slapping her ass and then scrambling out of bed. He was laughing the entire time as Fiona chased him with her face as red as a tomato. To Van, it had to be the cutest thing that he had ever seen.

Fiona saw Van turn a corner in the house and continued her chase only to see that he had suddenly disappeared. She looked around cautiously but didn't see him. 'Where could he have gone?' she thought not seeing Van suddenly sneaking up behind her.

Van tackled for to the ground and onto the soft carpet without hurting her. He heard her scream but devoured her lips with his own. He pulled back and watched her struggling under him. He just laughed and got off of her. That was the biggest mistake he made.

Fiona dived at him and knocked him over. She found herself sitting on his stomach but he didn't even seem to have any sort of problem with it. She was a light person so didn't put much pressure on him. "I win," she said with a mischievous smile on her beautiful face.

Van smirked at her response and lifted a hand and ran his hand gently across and area of the small part of her waist that was exposed because of the shirt she wore to sleep the previous night. He could feel the area twitch under his fingers and then she just started laughing. "No, it looks like I win," he said switching their positions. He just stared down at her with a smile as she glared up at him.

Fiona continued to struggle but he started to tickle her against and she couldn't hold in the laughter and started writhing underneath him in an attempt to stop his tickle torture. It sucked that he knew every ticklish spot on her body. He always used them to his advantage. "Van…" she said but couldn't stop laughing. "Fine… fine… I give up," she said and finally breathed a sigh of relief when he stopped his torture and got off of her.

"There, that wasn't so hard was it?" he asked with an overconfident smirk on his face at the look of her flushed face. His smirk suddenly widened as he grabbed her and picked her up bridal style. "Come on, I'm hungry," he said carrying her towards the kitchen.

"I can walk you know," she said with a fake pout although she enjoyed being in his arms way too much. When he didn't reply she just gave up and buried her head in his shoulder. He always knew how to make the best of any situation. That was how he had been since she met him. He found ways around certain situations, like her not having sex with him, and ended up having a lot of fun anyways.

Van placed her down on the couch and she was confused. He stared at her before turning and walking towards the kitchen. "You stay still. I am going to go and make us a huge breakfast," he said before leaving without another word.

* * *

"No need to get all snappy at me Moonbay!" Irvine yelled into a different room. Although he was back in his house, Moonbay seemed to be awfully moody the past few days and it was starting to get on his nerves. 

He closed the door and yet he could still hear her yell out after him, "Quit yelling at me!" he heard Moonbay yell right back at him and he just rolled his eyes. She had to be pretty loud to hear it all the way here and with the door closed to. He couldn't help but wonder what her problem was as he walked towards the restroom.

He stepped into the restroom and closed the door. He headed for the toilet but something behind it caught his eyes. 'What's that?" he thought reaching behind the toilet and pulling out a small box. He turned it over to see what it was before throwing it away and his eyes widened.

Forgetting about going to the restroom, Irvine rushed out of the room and towards where he knew his wife was. He saw her just sitting there watching the news as if expecting more of the news by Tiffany to come back on. "What's this?" Irvine asked holding up the box.

"What's what?" Moonbay asked looking towards him and her eyes widened as she noticed that she was holding the box to the pregnancy test. 'I thought I got rid of that!' she thought in a bit of a panic. "What do you have there Irvine?" she asked with a bit of a nervous chuckle.

"Why don't you tell me. I am not one to take pregnancy tests since I am man. Is there something you have been keeping from me Moonbay?" Irvine asked narrowing his eyes slightly at his nervous wife. Her nervousness was all the confirmation he needed. "So are you?" he asked taking a seat next to her.

Moonbay just sighed and looked towards the ground. "According to the test… no. so if you're worrying if I am or I'm not, then don't! Because I'm not!" she said leaning back in the seat and letting off a breath of air.

If Irvine was to tell the truth then he would actually say that he was disappointed. 'Oh well. We'll have plenty of time for that in the future," he said before looking at Moonbay. "So tell me why you kept it a secret?" he asked with a bit of annoyance in his voice. He hated having secrets kept from him.

"I didn't think it mattered since I wasn't," Moonbay just said with shrug. She suddenly turned to him with a smirk. "Why are you disappointed?" she asked but this time he was the one to shrug to her. "Fine, whatever," she said leaning her head in her hands.

Irvine bit his tongue to keep any smart comment he had in. Then he just couldn't help it. "How about you? Are you disappointed at not being pregnant?" he asked and saw her fidget a bit.

"Not really," she said as if it were simple. "Fiona is made for that sort of thing, I'm not. I just can't really see myself as a mother," Moonbay admitted although deep inside her, she did want to know what it was like to be one. Yet she was just really scared of the thought of it most.

"If Fiona is a mother, than Van is the father. If he could be one, then I am sure that anyone could be one. You're choice though," he said getting up and walking out of the room once again. Suddenly needing a nice long shower to cool his nerves.


	18. wishes

Despite the peaceful ways the inside of the house was feeling, it was completely different on the outside as a huge storm brew. It was only about noon but a huge storm suddenly came in from out of nowhere stopping Van and Fiona from getting to work at all that day.

Van looked towards Fiona as she clutched onto him tightly. He had almost forgotten how much she hated storms this large. It had been that way since she was a child. Some sort of memory brought it on, which confused Van because he didn't know what it was and apparently Fiona didn't either.

Fiona clutched onto Van tightly as a clash of thunder echoed across the sky. Although she'd gotten used to it, she still liked the comfort she got out of it when she was near Van. It brought her so much comfort for some reason. Something like how it happened. Her father had done so but it stemmed farther than that. A memory she didn't know but her mind refused to completely forget.

Van turned his head and stared out the window as rain came down hard upon it. "It doesn't look like this rain is going to stop anytime soon and it would be too dangerous to leave the house. This is basically a small hurricane," Van said watched the trees blowing with the wind rather harshly.

Fiona looked out the window and knew that Van was right in his assumption. Only it actually was a hurricane in her opinion. "Yeah," Fiona said hesitantly as another roar of the thunder hit the skies. This one seemed to be even louder than any of the previous ones.

"Fiona?" Van asked making her look up at him with inquisitive crimson eyes. "I never could figure this out. Why is it you're so afraid of thunder? It can't hit you like lightning can and even that's rare," he said a little confused. He knew Fiona knew that so he couldn't figure it out.

"I don't know, I've always have I guess. I can't explain it even though I know it can't hurt me," she said before she suddenly laughed at a thought. "Maybe I'm not actually scared but just enjoy being comforted during it," she said laughing as she looked into his eyes.

Van brushed his hand through her silky hair. "I can slightly remember my mother doing that when I was young. It was always so pleasant to have one that can comfort you when you're scared," he said as he listened to the rain hitting against the roof of their home.

"You're lucky to have a mother back then. I was raised by only my father after mom left the two of us when I was just a baby. I never knew the reason why though," she said sadly wishing that she had a mother when she was growing up. Yet she knew that she didn't want things to change. Things were turning out great for her.

"Because she's a cold heartless bitch and your father couldn't stand her anymore," Van said trying to lighten the mood. He knew it was rude but the woman deserved to be called such things for how she treated Fiona.

Fiona couldn't help the giggle that erupted from her throat. "I guess that's probably true," she said pulling a blanket over herself a little more. She flinched when a clash of thunder rushed over the sky.

Van reached over and turned on the radio hoping for some sort of forecast on the weather since their TV was on the fritz at that moment. 'What a time for it to do that as well,' he thought with a groan.

Fiona heard the radio turn on and jumped when she heard a song start playing. She recognized it as one of her favorites. The song was about as old as they were but she loved it anyways. It was a song that she just couldn't help but dance to a bit.

Van looked at Fiona and chuckled a little. He was well aware of her like for the singer and especially the song. "I see your tastes in songs still hasn't changed," he said which earned him a glare. "Just kidding," he said holding up his hands in defense.

"I've always loved this song and the story behind it. It was the last song she ever wrote before she died. It was such a pity since she was so talented. She wrote and sang it just before she died, all for her family," Fiona said swaying her hips to the music.

"Sounds like a cheesy love story if you ask me," he said getting glared at again. "But the story sounds so much like our own," he said watching as she continued to dance. It was entrancing and he never wanted to stop watching.

Fiona just smiled at his statement. "Yeah I know. She loved someone but just couldn't be with him because of her social status. Only for us it was that you're married. Yet it didn't stop her from falling in love with him," Fiona said with a dreamy look on her face.

Van scratched his face as a thought came to him. "I heard he was married as well. That really does make it sound too much like our story," he said while chuckling a little as the song ended and Fiona took her seat next to him once again.

Fiona looked thoughtful. "I never heard about that part. Of course I was only a few weeks old at the time she died. So I wouldn't know the entire story," she said with a sad sigh. "The two obviously loved each other a lot," she said with a small smile.

Van suddenly wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him. "Yeah well I think that their love doesn't even hold a candle to ours," he said suddenly attacking her neck with kisses as she squealed a little but didn't try to stop him.

Fiona burst into a fit of giggles. Not only was he kissing her, he was also tickling her with no mercy. "Van… please stop," she said trying to catch her breath. It was very hard when she was laughing so hard.

Fiona was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief when Van stopped his torture on her. "Now you need to behave. You're still technically married," she reprimanded him playfully as he hung his head in what she knew as fake shame.

Van suddenly lifted his head and grinned at Fiona. "Not for long Fiona. As soon as she signs the papers, I'll be a free man. I just hope things will go smoothly," he said wrapping his arms around her shoulder. Maybe then we'll be able to work on our relationship a little more," he said kissing the top of her head.

Fiona looked up at Van but it was with a sad look. "What if she doesn't sign them? She hasn't acted like she had any intention of doing so. She looks like she wants to keep you at any cost," Fiona said leaning her head on his shoulder. She hoped that things wouldn't have to go in that direction.

"She wants to keep my money, not me. It would probably turn out pretty bad if my dad didn't make her sign the prenup. Although I'm pretty sure she'll look for some way around it," Van said with a sigh and turned to look at Fiona.

For some reason, he wasn't too surprised to see that she was resting. 'I guess it's a bit of a boring subject,' he thought kissing her forehead and also closing his eyes. He just hoped that she'd sign the papers soon so that he could get on with his life with the woman that he truly loved.

* * *

Thankfully for Van and Fiona, the storm cleared up over the night and they were finally able to get to work again. There was quite a bit of damage though. The heavy winds knocked down several trees and there were also a bit of flooding all over the place. It was pretty unpleasant looking at that moment. 

The two of them walked into the large building and saw that everyone was in a hurry. It was obvious that the two of them weren't the only ones who couldn't make it the previous day. Everyone was too busy trying to catch up.

The two walked to the elevator but Fiona suddenly remembered something she needed to get and ended up heading off in a different direction saying that she'd be in the office in a few minutes. Van was ok with this because he had an important meeting anyways.

Van took the elevator and headed up to his office. He saw the secretary busy at work behind the desk. "Has Mr. Shubaltz stopped by yet?" Van asked referring to the older more competent of the two brothers.

The short haired brunette looked away from some papers at her boss. "He's been here for about five minutes. He's already inside waiting for you," she said with a smile before turning her head back in the direction of her piles of work in front of her.

Van nodded and entered the office. "It's good to see you again Karl," Van said as the older man stood up and shook Van's hand. "Please tell me you have some sort of good news about the divorce papers," Van begged as he took his seat across the desk.

Karl was Van's lawyer. He was a very skilled one that only those with a lot of money could buy. It didn't matter to Van though. Karl had helped him out greatly in quite a few sticky situations.

Karl had a serious look on his face and let off a small frown. "I met with her and her lawyer but unfortunately she tore up the papers right in front of my face. She's obviously not going to go down without a fight," he said seriously as he grabbed a small cup of coffee that was handed to him a minute or two before and took a sip out of it.

Van groaned and leaned back in his seat. He just stared up at the ceiling. "Please tell me there is something we can do then. I know stuff about law but not about divorces," Van groaned as he sat up straight once again and stared at Karl.

I've done some research and know of some things that courts will deem as permissible. From what you've told me, there was probably constructive abandonment, or you could probably use irreconcilable differences. Those are just a few that you can use," Karl explained giving off a very professional look.

Van had a confused look on his face. He could understand the irreconcilable differences but the other one confused him a bit. "Constructive abandonment? Up until I decided to leave, none of us have abandoned the other," he said trying to figure out what Karl meant.

"It doesn't only mean that. You told me that she had a tendency to kick you out of the house many times," Karl said and Van nodded his head. "That is one stipulation for constructive abandonment. Then there is also the fact that you said up until she felt threatened, that she almost refused to have sexual relations with you even though you wanted to. I think that is a reason we can be able to use that," Karl said taking a quick look at his watch.

"Then there's plenty of reason to use that. The two of us would almost never be together anyways. She was almost always gone and when she was home, half the time she would end up kicking me out of the house," Van explained hoping that it would help his case.

"I'll see what I can do about that. I have scheduled a hearing for a month from now. This divorce could take a while but I'm sure that we can get through this," he said standing up and shaking Van's hand.

"I appreciate the help. Please keep me informed of any updates in the case," Van said as he watched Karl slowly walk out the door. He let off a sigh just as Fiona came walking into the room carrying a stack of papers in her arms.

Fiona looked out the door where she saw Karl passing when she walked in. "What's Mr. Shubaltz doing here?" she asked looking around cautiously as if expecting the younger of the two brothers to show up at any minute. Thomas annoyed her a little with his persistence.

Van's hand ran down his face in frustration. "He was going over my divorce case. Apparently she refused to sign the papers so there is going to be a hearing in another month or so. I'm sure that Tiffany will drag this out as long as she has to in order to get what she wants," Van groaned laying his head down on the desk.

Fiona looked really saddened by the news. "Another month?" she said as more of a statement rather than a question. "Are you ok with that Van?" she asked him quietly placing a hand on his shoulder.

"In all honesty. I just want it to be over now. She expects too much out of this and therefore she won't stop until she gets as much as she can out of the marriage. Mr. Shubaltz says we have a good case though. Hopefully it'll all go by quickly," Van said suddenly finding little energy to make it through the day.

Fiona didn't have any idea how she could help Van. Sure she loved him and she wanted to be with him but she didn't know of any way in which she could make things speed up a bit. Plus that and she knew that she was the reason for why he was getting a divorce. 'I wish you didn't have to go through this,' she thought with a frown.

* * *

It was later in the day after Van's meeting with Karl Shubaltz. It was a bit hectic and Van and Fiona were so busy trying to get everything back in order since apparently no one was able to get to the office the previous day. 

Fiona took a few stacks of papers and left the room to go copy them. Van was too busy to notice her leave because she was so quiet but it was very easy to notice when the door slammed open. It scared the shit out of Van as papers scattered all over the place and he glared at the person. The glare turned into a pissed off look seeing who was there.

Van glared before turning back to the papers and picking them up. "What the hell are you doing here? I made up my mind," Van said trying his best to ignore her and not snap at her. She'd only been a pain to him since he made his choice.

The secretary came running into the room a few moments later with an apologetic look on her face. "Sorry sir. I tried to stop her but she wouldn't listen," she said and Van just nodded in understanding. Tiffany didn't know the meaning of the word no anyways so he couldn't blame the secretary.

Tiffany walked up to the desk and slammed her hands down upon it hard. "Why the hell are you doing this Van?" she yelled trying to make him look at her. "I never did anything to deserve this sort of treatment!" she yelled as tears fell from her eyes.

"Oh quit the waterworks. I'm not stupid enough to believe those tears anymore," Van said after taking a quick look at her before returning his attention back to the important papers before him.

"Damn it Van! Will you put those down and look at me!" she yelled at him but he didn't seem to want to do so. She reached out and grabbed the papers causing him to look up at her in fury. "It's about time I got your attention!" she said holding the papers out of his reach.

"Damn it! Give those back!" Van yelled reaching out to grab them but she just kept pulling them farther away. "Give those back and leave before I call security," Van warned glaring at her pretty harshly.

"Don't be like that Van," she said setting the papers down out of his reach and started to approach him. "How can you possibly be happy with that little girl? Only I can give you everything you desire," she said as she circled around the desk. "Can you honestly say that you don't miss me?" she asked seductively.

'Crap!' Van thought as he saw her approaching him. He watched her warily as she approached him. "Yes, I can!" he said trying to move out of her reach but she caught his arm and then pulled him in and forcefully kissed him.

Tiffany didn't know what happened, one moment she was kissing Van, but to her confusion he didn't kiss back. The next moment she was being pulled off of Van as well as pushed off by the man. She turned and glared at Fiona and just smirked.

Neither of them even noticed when Fiona walked into the room only to see the two of them kissing. But then she noticed that Van was trying to push her away. She grabbed the woman and pulled her off at the same time that Van pushed her off. "Why can't you just leave Van alone?" Fiona said angrily.

"Because I know he still wants me. Did you see how passionately we were kissing a second ago?" she asked with a smirk and she thought she heard a gagging sound a moment later but didn't get too much into it.

"I don't want you anymore. You forced the kiss on me probably knowing that Fiona would be here soon. Too bad for you, we know each other well enough to know we wouldn't do that to each other," Van explained wiping off his mouth in the process. Despite it being forced, Van still felt a bit guilty for not stopping it sooner.

"Van loves me. I know that he'd never do something like that to me. Now please leave," Fiona said forcefully hoping to get her point across. Unfortunately it didn't have the effect that she was hoping it'd have.

Tiffany just laughed. She took a quick glance between the two of them. "Oh that's funny. He said the same to me when we were married. You know the vows. Yet he cheated on me for you. What's to stop him from doing the same to you?" she said with a laugh as she walked towards the door. "I'm not going to lose you Van," she said before walking out the door.

Van looked at Fiona in sorrow. "I'm sorry about that Fiona. I tried to get her to leave but she wouldn't and then when I try to get away she forcefully kissed me. I never wanted it," he said clenching his fist at his side in anger. "Believe me when I say I would never willingly cheat on you," he said standing up and walking to her side.

"I know you wouldn't do that Van," she said putting a smile on her face. It did hurt to see that scene when she came in but she knew Van much better than that. "By the way, here," she said handing him the papers that Tiffany took.

"Thanks," he said as she started to walk to her desk but he grabbed her and pulled her to him kissing her on the lips. "I'm glad I have someone as understanding as you Fiona," he said letting her go as he took his seat once again.

* * *

Moonbay stood in her house alone. Irvine was going to be working a bit late that night and she was waiting for Fiona to show up. Even though Fiona was a little late, it didn't matter because she knew Fiona sometimes got too into her work that she lost track of time. 

She heard the sound of the doorbell ringing and walked over. She looked through the hole and saw Fiona. She opened the door quickly and without giving Fiona a chance to even say hello, she grabbed her arm and pulled her into the room quickly.

"Um… sorry I'm late," Fiona said a little stunned at suddenly being pulled into the room. She looked at Moonbay and noticed that the normally cheerful woman had these dark bags under her eyes and looked a little ruffled up. "Are you ok Moonbay?" Fiona asked cautiously.

"Am I ok? Am I ok! No I'm not! I'm anything but ok right now," Moonbay yelled looking like she just wanted to pull something off the wall and then throw it as hard so she could to smash it into tiny pieces.

Fiona was very freaked out at her friend's behavior. "W-what's Moonbay?" Fiona asked taking a few steps back just in case Moonbay really does lose her temper worse than a second ago. Moonbay always was scary when she was mad.

Moonbay suddenly groaned and fell back onto couch. A hand ran down her face in frustration. "The stupid test was wrong Fiona!" Moonbay said and she heard Fiona gasp. "I still wasn't feeling well afterwards and I went to the doctor and they told me that I actually am!" Moonbay said quietly.

Fiona suddenly squealed and wrapped her friend in a hug. "Wow that's wonderful news Moonbay. To think that you're going to have a baby!" Fiona said happily. She always loved seeing babies.

"Only you could be happy about this! It may not be bad for you but it's for me! I'm not meant for this! Plus that and Irvine thinks I'm not! So what can I possibly say to him?" Moonbay asked in a bit of a panic.

"The truth," Fiona stated simply to her confused friend. "It'll just be better to tell him the truth and get it over with. He'll eventually start noticing and get angry that you didn't tell him," Fiona said with a smile while wondering what the child would look like. She kind of wished that it was her having the baby though.

Moonbay looked at Fiona with a rather deadpanned look. "That's a lot easier said than done Fiona," she said in a monotonous voice. "If you think it's so easy, then why don't you go and tell him?" she asked glaring at her best friend.

Fiona just smiled and held up a finger to her. "One reason, I'm not the one carrying his child," she said with a laugh. "Juts chill out and relax. I'm sure that Irvine will take it just fine. Can't wait myself. Babies are so cute," Fiona said in a ecstatic voice.

"Glad you think that because I'm naming you the godmother then," Moonbay said slightly glaring at her friend. She was nervous about all that was happening and her friend was already making plans for when the baby's born.

"That sounds wonderful," Fiona said before she took a look at the clock and saw that it was getting rather late. "Since he should be here soon, I better leave the two of you alone. Bye!" she said with a smile before rushing out the door before Moonbay could stop her.

"Hey! Wait! Come back here!" Moonbay yelled suddenly panicking. She ran after her but Fiona was already pulling out of the driveway and she could already see Irvine's car driving down the street. 'I'm gonna kill her when I get my hands on her,' she thought thinking of plenty of ways to punish her.

Moonbay walked back into the house and then took a seat on the couch waiting for the inevitable to happen. 'How the hell am I going to do this? I always expected Fiona to be a mother first and yet I'm the one who is,' she thought running a hand down her face.

The door opened a minute later and a tired looking Irvine walked into the house. His tie was undone and his shirt looked a bit disheveled. "Damn it was tiring today. So much work because of that huge storm yesterday," he said throwing his coat onto the back of the couch and he took a seat next to Moonbay.

"Y-yeah," Moonbay said chuckling nervously. 'Why am I so nervous? Ok the news I have is a bit unnerving for me. I shouldn't be nervous. This just doesn't seem like me,' she thought with a sigh.

Irvine took a look over at his wife and saw the look on her face. She seemed troubled about something and he wondered what it was. "You ok? You look troubled. Is everything alright?" he asked her looking slightly confused.

Moonbay was growing more and more aggravated that this subject was being dragged out longer than necessary. "I'm pregnant," she said very bluntly while looking in any direction but the one that he was in. she didn't have to look at him to know what his quiet response was.

Irvine's eyes nearly bugged out of his head at her blunt answer. "Now wait a minute, I thought you said that you weren't!" he said suddenly feeling nervous about the subject they were talking about.

"So I thought," Moonbay said rolling her eyes. "Or at least that's what the first test told me. I still didn't feel good so I went to the doctors and they gave me that wonderful news," she said a bit sarcastically. She would be happier if this didn't take her by surprise. She had to wonder if she was even ready.

Irvine just stayed quiet after that. He really didn't know what he should say. This was a real surprise after he first heard that she wasn't. He couldn't say he was displeased though. It was actually quite the contrary. "You don't sound too happy about it," he finally managed to say.

"What am I supposed to be? We didn't plan on this happening!" she said panicking a little. She then took a deep breath. "I'm not against it but it was so sudden and I'm not sure how I feel about it yet," she said hanging her head.

"There's no reason to be upset. I'm sure we can get through this. We'll have the child and be its parents. Even if it wasn't planned doesn't mean that we have to hate it before it's born," Irvine said with a slight smirk wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

'I just hope I don't end up accidentally killing it. I've never had any experience with newborn babies,' she thought with a sigh as she leaned her head against his chest. "We'll just have to learn how to be parents. None of us have much experience," she said with a small laugh.

"Not a problem. Fiona will always help us. She's always loved children and is really good with them. Maybe she can give us a few pointers. I have some from my dead sister but not enough since I was also young at the time," Irvine said although it pained him to think of his dead sister.

"You know it only hurts you to think about her so quit it before you go crazy!" Moonbay said sternly. She'd seen Irvine after he thought of her and it never did any good for either of them.

Irvine hung his head in defeat. There was no arguing with Moonbay and he'd learned that so many times up till then. "Yes ma'am," he muttered staring towards the ground although he did find the situation kind of funny. "Come on, I'm hungry," he said grabbing her and heading towards the kitchen.

* * *

"She's pregnant!" Van yelled in surprise when Fiona told him about what her and Moonbay discussed. He found it a little hard to believe. In all the years he's known her, she never struck him as that type of woman. She was also so independent. 

"Yeah, I think she found it just as hard to believe as you did. She was in a bit of a panic about it to. I personally find this news incredible. Babies are so cute," Fiona said happily. "She even said that I can be the godmother," she said even happier than before.

Van just rolled his eyes. He just knew what that meant. It meant that Moonbay was planning to make him the godfather. "Great! For all we know, that child will just be as stubborn and pigheaded as it's parents," Van said sarcastically. He figured it would be true. Moonbay and Irvine were too stubborn for their own good. Also, at least to Van, he found Irvine to be the most pigheaded man in the world, even if he happened to be one of Van's closest friends.

"Oh don't say that Van," Fiona said with a small pout. 'Although he's probably right,' she thought as an afterthought. "I can't wait for it though," she said as she turned and started to walk to their room but was suddenly grabbed around the waist and pulled into Van.

Van held Fiona close to him and had no intention of letting go. "Personally, I'd rather it be you than her," he whispered into her ear. He felt her shiver slightly and smiled. "It would look so much better than one coming from them," he said in a soft tone as he held her tighter.

Fiona looked up at Van and smiled. "Maybe someday we'll get our chance. Until then," she said before she swatted away his wondering hands playfully. "Behave yourself," she said giving him a quick kiss on the lips before running to their room.

Van just smirked as he saw her retreating figure. "As you wish," he said as sitting down. 'Our chance? Yeah, that's a good thought. I'll make sure that someday, you'll be the mother of my child,' he thought with a soft smile at the thought of it. "But first I need to take care of my current problems. Maybe then we can move forwards with our own relationship," Van said quietly to himself.

Just as he said that, Fiona came walking out of their room and she thought she heard him muttering something. "You say something Van?" Fiona said as she carried a towel as she headed towards the bathroom.

"Just thinking aloud Fiona. Nothing for you to worry about," she said turning towards her with smile. 'More like just thinking of our future. I just need to worry about the present right now,' he said as she came over to him. He reached out and pulled her onto his lap.

Fiona made a sad attempt at escaping but in reality, she enjoyed sitting on Van's lap. She needed a nice long hot bath though. "Come on Van. I really need a bath," she said with a playful shove and a small laugh.

Van suddenly got a bit of a perverted grin on his face. He leaned in as well as pulled her to him tighter. "Can I join you?" he asked her and saw her blush slightly. He could help but laugh. She was still as shy and modest as ever despite how far the two of them have gone in their relationship.

"Sorry buster but I want to do this alone for now," Fiona said finally managing to calm her face down. She couldn't help but laugh at the pout that he made. "Nice try Van but you'll just have to wait," Fiona said turning around and headed towards the bathroom happily.

Van followed her like a lost puppy. "I promise I'll behave," he said with another pout which she just shrugged off. 'Damn it! Not being able to touch her like that anymore is driving me crazy,' Van thought although in the back of his mind, he couldn't be any happier with how things were going between them. It was like nothing ever happened back then and they were still the happy couple they were seven years before.

* * *

Meanwhile on the other side of town, a lonely figure laid in her home that she once shared with her husband. She laid curled up on the bed shaking in anger at the thought of all that had been going on. 

"Stupid Van! Stupid little bitch Fiona! First he leaves me for her then he thinks he can just insult me about it. Now I'm also on the verge of losing everything in this divorce. Why did I have to sign those damn papers!" she screamed into the empty room in her fury.

She started to pound her fist against the bed. "Stupid bitch had to show up and ruin everything. He had no intention of leaving before she interfered with my life. I'll make her pay for that. No one insults me that way and gets away with it. I'll get Van back from her greedy clutches is it's the last thing I do!"


	19. disaster

Things were actually peaceful as the weeks past. A week from then, Van would be going to court where he had hopes that he'd be able to finalize this divorce and finally get on with his life with Fiona.

Irvine had his hands full for a while. Van had never seen him the way that he has been since he learned that Moonbay was pregnant. The once tough man seemed to worry much more. He barely let Moonbay get out of the house unless it was necessary. She wasn't too happy about it either considering how much she loved her freedom.

Van hadn't heard much from Tiffany for a while. The media had finally settled down and things seemed almost normal by then. Van didn't expect it to last with his divorce trial approaching but there was nothing that he could really do. He just knew that they would be all over him when that time came. Unfortunately, things were suddenly shaken one morning. It definitely went a way that he didn't expect.

Van was sitting at his desk signing some papers when Irvine suddenly came barging into the office. He looked a bit panicked. "What's up Irvine?" Van asked as he set his pen down and rubbed his hand since he'd been signing papers all morning without any break.

"We've got problems," he said as he walked over to the television that was set up in the room. He turned it on and started to flip through the channels until he found the one he was looking for. "This is very serious Van. You might want to see this as well Fiona," he said as a news reporter appeared on the TV.

"What's going on?" Fiona asked as she got up and followed Van over to the TV so that both of them could get a good view. She didn't understand what it was because they were just talking about a break in right then.

Irvine turned to look at her and gave her a sad look since he knew that this would be hard for her to see but he also knew that it'd be best for her to see this. "Just wait. They'll probably talk about it again," he said as he took a seat and started to watch the TV with great interest.

Just as Irvine had suspected, a report was displayed on the TV. "Rumors of the divorce case between Van Flyheight the multibillionaire and his wife of two years, Tiffany Flyheight, has been confirmed. The two have been at odds for the past several weeks but a divorce wasn't reported until just recently."

Van looked at Irvine. He expected them to get it. He didn't see how this was supposed to be such a big deal. "What's the point? They would've gotten it eventually," Van said but Irvine just motioned for him to continue watching.

"However something has also come to our attention. In a special interview with his wife, we unveil startling new information into the case," the new reporter said before the screen shifted to another reporter and none other than Van's soon to be ex-wife.

Van couldn't help but growl a bit. He couldn't understand how she could keep dragging this thing out like this. He didn't want the whole world to know about it all but she continued to make sure that she did everything that she could to change his mind. He didn't think that there was anything that could possibly change his mind.

"Thank you for talking with us Mrs. Flyheight," the reporter on the TV said and Tiffany just nodded her head as she wiped a small tear falling from her eyes. "I know this is hard but I was wondering if you could please give us some information about this trial," the reporter said handing the woman a tissue.

Tiffany wiped her eyes and the spoke. "Well as I stated before, it all started when my husband got himself this new secretary who happened to be his old girlfriend. Before then, the two of us were really happy," she said as another tear fell down her face.

The reporter just nodded and handed another tissue. "After that, he started to distance himself from me and I eventually found out that he was cheating on me with her even after he told me so many times before how much she hurt him when they were going out," she said and blew her nose into the tissue.

"What about all these accusations he made on you? He says that you were cold hearted and didn't care for the safety of his friends. Are any of these accusations true?" the reporter as and then switched to Tiffany who just shook her head no. "Then what actually happened?"

"I admit that I overreacted that night but I couldn't just sit back as she tried to hurt him again," Tiffany said wiping her eyes once again. "I loved him and I was just looking out for him and he just did all those horrible things to me," she said as she looked down at her hands in her lap.

Tiffany seemed to take a few moments to calm down before she looked back up at the reporter. "Just before then I told him I was pregnant and then he suddenly wants a divorce and won't even give me anything to help me get by with our child."

Irvine just shut it off there. He had a highly pissed off look in his eyes. "It was also all over the paper but I'm guessing you haven't read it yet. The rest of the interview was just a bunch of bullshit! She's not lying either according to a doctors report. Even a DNA test shows it's yours from what she released," Irvine said as he slammed his fist down upon the table and he was surprised it didn't break under the force.

Van seemed to have gone very pale after the interview. "She has to be lying. She never told me anything like that. You have to believe me," Van said urgently as he looked between Irvine and Fiona. Fiona actually avoided his gaze.

Van knew why Fiona wasn't looking at him. If it was true, then she knew that he would have to go back to Tiffany and take care of his child. It would be the honorable thing to do. "She's lying she made sure that she wouldn't get pregnant whenever we did it. We used protection all the time," Van said suddenly remembering her insistence on using protection.

Fiona knew that usually that would be true but she also knew that there was also a downside to Van's theory. "Yeah but just a small tear could do this," she muttered sadly as she kept her head down. She suddenly turned around and ran out of the room. It might very well be Van and she didn't want to be the one to get him in trouble for staying with her when someone else had his child.

"Fiona!" Van yelled about to rush after her but Irvine grabbed his arm before he could get very far. "Irvine let me go! I need to talk to Fiona!" Van yelled as he struggled but Irvine wouldn't let go of his arm.

"Van as much as I hate to say this, you should leave Fiona alone for now. I'll have Moonbay check up on her but I think that we really need to look more into this first thing!" Irvine said trying to be as reasonable as possible because of how serious Van's situation had become.

"Irvine even if she is I don't think I can go back to Tiffany," Van said looking very panicked. Never in his life had he been put into a situation this severe. He didn't know if he should stay with Fiona or live a lie with Tiffany now.

'You may not have to but you have to remain calm. I think that she must've planned this really well. Releasing that to the public would put more pressure on you to return to her. Just keep calm at least for Fiona's sake," Irvine tried to calm his friend to the best of his ability but it just didn't seem to be enough.

Van did his best but he just couldn't seem to not panic. Papers say that it's his child and there'll be pressure to force him to remain married to his wife. "What is there that we can do when she has proof that it's mine?" Van said running a hand through his hair.

"I don't know but you'll need a clear head to think it over. I'm going to go call Moonbay and tell her what's going on but she probably already knows. I'll have her look over Fiona," he said leaving the room to his own as he headed to his own. Fiona looked really hurt and he didn't want to leave her alone for long.

Van managed to stumbled over in his chair and collapsed into it. His head fell onto the desk as he asked himself over and over the exact same questions. 'Is this actually happening? Will I actually have to leave Fiona again?' she asked himself as he felt himself shake. He didn't know what would happen if he had to leave Fiona again.

* * *

Fiona just drove away without any real destination in mind. She loved Van but she wouldn't want to be in his way when he has a child of his own on the way. She wanted him to do the right thing even if it did hurt her in the end. 

Somehow Fiona suddenly found herself in front of Moonbay's house. She didn't know how she could've gotten there but she knew that she'd feel better if she had another woman to talk to. Moonbay always had a way of knowing what to do. She hoped that she would have some answers for Fiona.

Fiona parked her car and started to walk to the door. Before she could even reach it, Moonbay came out of it and wrapped Fiona in a comforting hug. Fiona couldn't help but cry as Moonbay tried to comfort her.

Moonbay sighed for her poor friend. 'She must've been holding in her tears ever since she left,' she thought as she looked at Fiona. "Hey there Fiona. It's going to be ok. Just let it all out," Moonbay said as she patted Fiona's back. She was just about to go looking for Fiona but was glad she showed up when she did.

"T-There's p-proof that s-she actually h-has his c-child," Fiona managed to stuttered out. She wondered how things could've gone from so great one second to utterly horrible the next second. "I-I don't know what to do," she said as her voice continued to shake from her sobs.

"Why don't we go inside so you can just sit down," Moonbay said as more of a statement rather than a question. She then turned towards the door and carefully led Fiona into the beautiful house.

Fiona sat down on the couch, which she was really glad about because she didn't think her legs could stand her up anymore. "I don't know what to do Moonbay. I know Van should do the right thing but I love him so much now that I don't think I can possibly let him go again!" Fiona said as tears fell down her face.

Moonbay sighed and sat down next to Fiona wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "I know that it'll be hard Fiona. Neither Irvine or me know what to expect," she said just wishing that she could kill Tiffany and get it over with. "You're welcome to stay here until everything is settled," she said but Fiona just shook her head no.

Fiona just continued to shake her head. "I don't think I can face Van right now. I know there's nothing he could do but I feel like I need to get out of here for now," she said as she stood up and started to pace the room.

Moonbay suddenly had a great idea that brought a grin to her face. "You know what Fiona? You're right! Me and you are going to go out for a while. You need to get away and I need to get out! Irvine's driving me nuts keeping me here!" she yelled and was glad when she heard Fiona giggle slightly. "I'll leave a note and we'll leave before either of them notice. Go and get enough clothes for a few days and we'll get out of here," she said as she ran to her own room.

* * *

Irvine groaned in aggravation as he returned home that day. They had searched all day for something that would prove Tiffany as a liar but everything appeared to be legitimate. They looked like official papers and Irvine didn't see much they could do. 

Irvine planned to go someplace tomorrow that would be the best place to check but it was late when he got out and he really wanted to get home and get some sleep. He knew that Fiona was there and he really wanted to make sure she was ok. She was like a sister and he wanted to make sure she didn't do anything rash.

He opened the door to the house but knew almost immediately by how quiet it was that they weren't there. Moonbay almost always made a lot of noise. 'Where the hell is she? She shouldn't be out in her condition,' he thought as he looked around.

He first walked to their room and looked in but saw that the bed was empty. He then walked to the guest room but that was empty as well. "What the hell!" he yelled almost running around looking for anything.

It wasn't until the kitchen that he found out. He had basically given up looking around the house and she wasn't picking up her cell. He figured that he would get a quick bite to eat then check all of her favorite places. It was only then that he noticed a note that was taped to the refrigerator. He pulled it off and read it.

Irvine,

I'm sure by the time you're reading this that we'll be long gone. I've taken Fiona out for a few days and to get out myself. I wouldn't suggest coming to look for us. I'll call you if anything comes up. Ciao.

Moonbay

Irvine crumpled up the note angrily and hit the side of the fridge. "What is she thinking going out in her condition?" he asked himself but he also knew that it also would be pointless to look. Moonbay's good at hiding and not being found at least in these types of situations.

* * *

Van groaned as he approached a house he was hoping to never see again. As much as he hated the idea, he really had no other choice but to confront Tiffany. He knew it wouldn't be pretty but he needed answers and with luck a solution would present itself to him. 

He walked up to the door and knocked on it. There didn't seem to be any response on the inside for a moment but then he heard someone moving inside and the next moment the door was opened.

Tiffanydidn't look to happy when she opened the door but then a smile crossed her face when she saw that it was Van. She was dressed in a bathrobe and her hair was slightly damp. "How nice to see you Van," she said in what was supposed to be a happy tone but she could tell that Van wasn't too happy to be here. "What's the matter, not happy to see the woman carrying your child?" she asked with a pout.

Van saw her reach out as if to caress his face but he grabbed her by the wrist before she could do so. "Don't think for one moment I believe you about it! I'm just here for the truth!" he said with a bit of venom to his voice.

"No need to be so nasty about it! I have all the proof you could want. Just follow me and I'll get it for you," she said as she turned and walked into the house with Van following closely behind her.

Van immediately took notice that the house was very different from the way it was when he lived there. Not that he really cared. He didn't know if she was telling the truth or not. He figured that even if she was, he probably still wouldn't get back together with her like she wanted but still help to take care of his child. He probably wouldn't go back to Fiona if it was because he didn't think it would be fair to her.

Van took a seat on the sofa and just waited for her to grab the papers she claimed to have. One look at them would hopefully tell Van all that he needed to know about the child growing inside of her. He was praying for something to make it fake so that he could go back to Fiona.

Tiffany came back a few minute later carrying a few sheets of papers. "Here they are. All the pregnancy tests I took and also the DNA tests I had done since I knew that you wouldn't believe me otherwise," she said handing the papers to Van.

Van took them cautiously and looked through them very thoroughly. He became more disheartened when he saw that they were official and that there didn't seem to be anything wrong with her. 'She actually is having my child?' he asked becoming disheartened.

"That enough proof for you that I am having your child? I had suspicions when you left but it wasn't sure until recently," she said as she took them back and put them in a drawer. "I guess that means that you're stuck with me Van," she said walking over to him again.

Van just sat there with his head in his hands. He would have to take responsibility for this child. All else would have to be left behind, including Fiona. It would be the hardest thing that he did but he didn't want to have to put her through this.

Tiffany took a seat next to Van and took his hands. "Van, isn't what we had before special? We can always have that again," she spoke softly as she placed herself on Van's lap. "We'll be together again," she said as she loosened her robed until the fell leaving her exposed.

Van didn't even looked at her but she grabbed his chin and tried to turn his head to kiss him. 'This isn't right,' he thought before pushing her off of him and stood up. "I'm sorry. I just can't do that with you," he said before leaving the house as quickly as was possible for him.

Tiffany watched as he left with emotionless eyes. 'We'll be together again soon Van. You just need a little time to get used to this idea,' she thought before pulling her robe back on and she went to get dressed.

* * *

"You know, there's nothing like the lights of this big city during the night that makes me feel better," Moonbay said stretching as the two of them got out of Fiona's car which Moonbay insisted on driving since Fiona didn't look up to doing much right then. 

"Yeah," Fiona mumbled as she looked over the city lights. Moonbay had taken them to a city that was a short ways away from where they normally lived in. It was far enough for them to hopefully not run into anyone they know but close enough so that if they had to get back quickly for some reason then it would be easy.

"We should check into the hotel first. Then we're going to have some tonight. You won't even remember why you're feeling bad when I'm done with you," Moonbay said as she grabbed Fiona and dragged her towards a large hotel. There always were benefits to having a rich husband but that wasn't what attracted Moonbay to Irvine.

Fiona just followed Moonbay into the luxurious hotel and kept silent as Moonbay talked to the woman that was at the desk. She finished after what seemed like a long time and returned to Fiona's side holding a key in her hand. "Let's go then," she said as she led Fiona through the lobby and towards an elevator.

The two of them got in the elevator and it started to go up to what seemed to be close to the top floor before it finally came to a stop and let them off. The got out and walked down a hall to a door that must be theirs since Moonbay came to a stop in front of it.

Moonbay dug into her pockets where she'd placed the key and pulled it out and unlocked the door. It swung open and the two of them walked into the room dragging their luggage behind them.

"Better than I thought it would be," Moonbay muttered as she looked around. The room was large but not overly large for housing two people. It was definitely nicer than the other rooms that the hotel hand that were in a more affordable price range but Moonbay wanted to make Fiona feel better and got one of the nicer rooms.

Fiona looked around and had to admit that it was very nice but she'd rather be back at the place Van and her shared. It was more comfortable than the nicest room any hotel could have since at least Van was there.

She set her stuff down and walked to the window and opened the curtains. There were towering buildings all over the place. Some a lot bigger than where they were from. She could see a lake in the distance and cars that looked like ants below them.

"Nice view," Moonbay said as she came and joined Fiona by the window. "I'm definitely going to have a great time here," she said as she saw the sun starting to set in the horizon and lights on several of the buildings already starting to shine as the sky grew darker.

Moonbay turned towards Fiona and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Hey don't worry. You never know, by the time we get back the two of them might have gotten this mess sorted out. Even if she has proof, I somehow doubt she's telling the truth," she said hoping that in some way it might help to cheer Fiona up a bit. "Come on, there's so much for us to do!" she said getting happy before pulling Fiona back towards the door.

* * *

Irvine walked into Van's office the next morning and saw Van was his head down on his desk. "I guess I don't have to ask to know how that meeting went," he said with a grimace on his face. "How you holding up?" he asked taking a seat across from Van and putting his feet up on the desk. 

"Horribly," Van muttered as he lifted his head and basically slammed it back down on the hard making Irvine wince. "I looked over the documents several times and they seem legitimate," Van muttered as he kept hitting his head on the desk.

"Yeah well I say that there's something fishy about it all. Why is it that she didn't bother to bring it all up until now? She must've known for a while if she was and would've tried it earlier," Irvine said thinking how it had already been almost three months.

"She would unless she wanted to have a better impact," Van muttered not bothering to look up at Irvine. "Saying it this close to the divorce trial will have a better impact on mine and the judge's decision I think," he muttered continuing to keep hitting his head on the desk.

"Will you stop that! It's getting annoying!" Irvine yelled because just watching it was giving him a headache and he wasn't the one hitting his head. "I say that you should make her get another test, one with our doctors. I wouldn't be surprised if she paid them to change the results," Irvine muttered since it did sound like something that she would do.

"No point asking them if it's true because she would've thought we would do that. There's no proof about it," Van said with his head still down on the desk and he didn't appear to have any urge to lift it.

"What are you going to do? Stay with Amy and see if you can get it to work?" he asked hating the idea but that was the way things were starting to look. Or remain with Fiona? Or are you going to give up on both?" Irvine asked staring intently at Van.

"I don't know! Everything's just so screwed up right now! If she is, then I don't think I can put Fiona through that! Yet I don't think I can go back to Tiffany either! Not after all she's done!" a frustrated Van yelled finally looking up at Irvine for the first time since he entered the room.

Irvine saw just how bad the situation was for Van. Although he was glad that it wasn't happening to him, he still felt bad for Van. Because of Tiffany's selfishness, Van might have to give up the one good thing he had going in his life expect for his business. "I don't think that's what Tiffany wants. She probably wants to keep your marriage intact," he said rubbing his forehead.

"You think I don't know that! There's too much pressure on me right now to do the right things since it was basically told to the entire world! I need to figure out what's actually happening right now before I make any decision," Van said standing up and walking out of the office before Irvine could stop him.

Irvine watched him leave and sighed knowing there was no point stopping him. He felt that if Van got what he wanted, that maybe things would get better. He just hoped that Van wouldn't give up on his relationship with Fiona. He was miserable after the first time and he would probably be even worse if it happened a second time.

* * *

From what Fiona could tell Moonbay was having the time of her life. There was a casino at their hotel and she was going from one table to the next. She didn't have much luck but she was the type that wouldn't give up no matter what. She always kept saying when she lost that she felt lucky about the next round. This was what she'd been saying for the past two days and she still continued to lose. 

Fiona sighed as she leaned back in a chair. She wasn't much of a gambler and was probably only able to do slot machines but that's easy enough for anyone. She felt like she could only do so many times of that before it started to get boring.

Fiona stood up and walked over to the table Moonbay was at. "How much longer are you going to be Moonbay? I'm hungry and we really haven't eaten much all day," she said with a sigh as her stomach growled a bit over the noise of the lively casino around them.

Moonbay looked up from her cards and looked at Fiona thinking quickly. "Um… yeah sure. Could you do me a favor first?" she asked and Fiona just nodded her head. "Can you head back up to the room and grab the rest of my money? I'm almost out right now and we don't have the money for food if we don't," she said before putting a losing hand down.

"Um… sure. I'll be about ten minutes. Can you meet me in the lobby then?" she asked and this time it was Moonbay who nodded her head. "Ok. Just be ready when I get back down," Fiona said before she started running towards the elevator.

Fiona took the elevator all the way up to their floor and walked slowly since she forgot where exactly the room was. She knew the number though. It didn't take long to find it either. She tried to unlock the door but noticed that it was already unlocked. "What?" she asked but just figured that Moonbay forgot to lock it when they left.

Fiona opened the door and walked into the room and saw exactly what Moonbay was talking about. She grabbed some cash and then was about to leave when she suddenly had a feeling that there was someone else in the room with her.

Fiona turned around quickly and her eyes widened in shock and fear when she saw that it was Ethan that was sitting in a chair across the room. He was sitting by the door but she didn't see him when she first came in because the wall was at his back and she didn't look that way when she needed to. "W-what are you doing here?" she said as she took a few steps back.

"You don't look happy to see me," he muttered not looking very happy himself. "I had business here and I'm sure you could imagine my surprise when I saw you and that friend of yours were staying here. I just thought I'd stop and say hello," he said looking straight into her crimson eyes.

"Leave!" Fiona ordered since the last two times she came into contact with him, she'd ended up injured from him hitting her. She frowned even more when he didn't move from his seat. "Leave!" she yelled even louder pointing to the door.

Ethan finally stood up but didn't seem to be heading towards the door. "Tell me something Fiona, how are things going for you and Flyheight? Oh wait. I guess they aren't going good according to the news," she said with a bit of a smirk.

Fiona continued to take a few steps back but he continued to advance. "I want you to leave or I swear I'll call security," she warned him but she was surprised when she saw a smirk. She picked up the phone but didn't hear anything. It was only then that she noticed the lines were cut.

"I doubt it," he said with amusement in his voice. "How does it feel Fiona? How does it feel to give up everything that was actually good about you to Flyheight you slut?" he asked as he continued to advance. "How many others were there? I've been going through it in my head ever since you left and I saw what a mistake you were in the first place. I bet you were opening those legs of yours to everyone but me you whore," he said as he finally reached her. He then smacked her hard in the face.

Fiona fell to the floor by the bed hard and clutched her face. She didn't see much that would help her out of this situation since Moonbay was still downstairs. "Why won't you leave me alone?" she cried as a few tears actually started to fall down her face.

She just couldn't seem to get a break that day. First it was the news announcement of Tiffany's and then she just happened the find the last person that she wanted to see here of all places. 'Didn't Moonbay say this was supposed to be relaxing?' she asked herself as she looked up at the man in front of her.

"Why won't I leave you alone?" he asked with amusement in his voice. "Because you betrayed me and that's simply unacceptable to me. Naughty girls like you need to be punished," he said with a sneer on his face. "Even if you beg now I won't take you back anymore. That time has come and gone. You're just used goods now that is no good to anyone!" he said kicking her in the stomach.

Fiona coughed as she tried to catch her breath. "You're just a monster. I never betrayed you. I wanted you to stop but you never did. Then you became abusive with me for no reason. I never cheated on you with Van. It was only in your mind that I did!" Fiona said defiantly as she looked up into his dark brown eyes.

"Liar!" he yelled grabbing a chunk of her hair and pulling her up. "Quit denying that you cheated on me!" he yelled punching her in the stomach before throwing her on the bed. "You not good enough for me anymore. Not after what you did!" he yelled picking her up again and threw her into the wall which she slid down.

Fiona groaned as she managed to open her eyes and look at his approaching figure. "I feel sorry for anyone you've been with before," she managed to say before she was picked up. 'Van!' she screamed in her head wishing that he'd come and save her like he did last time. 'He doesn't even know where I am.'

* * *

Moonbay waited as patiently as she could for Fiona to come back down. She was out of money now and Fiona was bringing down the rest so that they could get something to eat. 'Where is she?' she asked herself as she tapped her foot and looked at her watch which showed that Fiona was really late. 

It had been at least twenty minutes since she went up to the hotel room and Moonbay knew that it shouldn't take that long to get up there and grab something before coming back down. "She sure is taking her sweet time," she grumbled trying to figure out if she should go up or continue to wait.

"Screw it! I'm tired of waiting!" she said heading towards the elevator. She pressed the up button and waited impatiently for it to come down. The elevator came to a stop but someone came plowing past her. "Watch it!" she yelled getting onto the elevator and pressing the button to their floor.

The elevator rose and then came to a stop on their floor and Moonbay got out and quickly walked in the direction of their room. She came to a stop when she saw the door was cracked open a bit and then opened it.

She couldn't believe the horror that was laid out before her. The room was a complete mess. The mirror was nearly shattered, also the chairs and stuff like that were overturned. The worst of it all was lying in the middle of the room. "Fiona!" Moonbay yelled rushing to Fiona's side.

She was frantic and immediately checked Fiona's pulse and was glad to see that she was alive. Her body was in taters though. Her clothes were ripped but still hanging onto her, and she had multiple cuts all over her body. She just laid there unconscious in a small pool of her own blood.

Moonbay knew that she needed to get Fiona to a doctor immediately. "Hang on Fiona!" Moonbay said as she quickly got up and rushed to the phone but freaked out when she saw that it didn't work. "I'll be right back!" Moonbay yelled rushing out the door hoping to find someone to help.

She went pounding on several doors but many people didn't seem to be in since it was still the early hours of the night. The more she pounded, the more frantic she became. 'No wonder no one heard and came to help, no one's here!' Moonbay thought pounding on just about every door on the floor.

Moonbay had just about given up hope when she saw a door open and a disgruntled looking man opened it. "What is it that you had to come breaking down my door for?" he asked a bit angrily because he was apparently trying to call it an early night even though it was barely nine.

"Please sir. I'm desperate. I need you to call the paramedics. My friends been seriously hurt and needs to be rushed to the hospital immediately!" Moonbay said feeling like she was on the verge of tears. She wouldn't be surprised if she actually did start crying which was unusual for her.

The man immediately dropped his disgruntled look. "I'm a doctor, let me see her first and maybe I can do something!" he said and Moonbay nodded and led him to her room where Fiona was still laying still. Moonbay didn't dare move her for fear of doing more damage.

The doctor immediately started to look her over but the look on his face didn't seem to be too good. "Stay here with her! I'll go call an ambulance immediately! Don't move her!" he said and Moonbay nodded and he left.

Moonbay just sat there as her friend seemed to grow weaker and weaker. She couldn't stand it. The waiting was killing her. "Hang on Fiona!' she thought desperately as she heard a rustling down the hall which meant that the ambulance had finally arrived. 'Please hold on!'


	20. after the storm

It seemed to take hours for Moonbay, hours since Fiona was rushed to the hospital. But in reality it was only an hour or so that she'd been waiting in the waiting room waiting for any sort of news on Fiona's condition but it never seemed to come.

She felt horrible that something like that had to happen. She just wished she could get a hold of the one responsible and beat the living daylights out of him but the problem was that nobody but Fiona knew who it was. It made it worse that she was in no condition to be able to tell.

Moonbay was just pacing the room waiting for a doctor to come out and tell her what was going on. It always got her hopes up when someone came up but they were always shot down the next moment when she saw that it wasn't for what she wanted. Just some news to tell her that Fiona was going to be alright would do.

Another hour passed and Moonbay felt like she was about to go crazy if she didn't do something. She finally decided what to do. She got up and walked to the phone. She knew that Irvine and Van would definitely want to know what happened.

* * *

Irvine had been doing what he could to get some sleep that night and he knew he was just about to when he heard the phone ring. It seriously pissed him off that someone would dare call so late at night. he was seriously tempted to just ignore the call but decided against it so he just got up and picked up the phone. "Hello," he said in a groggy voice. 

He was confused because he didn't hear anything on the other side of the line. Then he suddenly heard something but it sounded like sniffling. "Hello? Who is this?" he asked growing annoyed that someone would call him that late at night and not even have the decency of saying anything. "I'm hanging up then!"

"Irvine!" Moonbay's panicked voice finally said across the phone and Irvine immediately put it back to his ear. He could definitely hear panic in her voice and it was something that he knew he should worry about since she wasn't normally like that.

"Moonbay! Where are you? You know you shouldn't be up in your condition!" he yelled into the phone finally glad that he could let off the frustration he'd been feeling about knowing that he didn't know where his wife and child were.

"I'm pregnant, not dying," she said in an aggravated tone. She seemed calm for a second before she seemed to remember why she was calling. "I need your help Irvine. Something terrible has happened!" she almost yelled into the phone and he could practically see her crying over the phone.

Irvine sat up straight and turned on the light in the room since he didn't think it was necessary to turn it one before he picked up the phone. "What happened! Are you ok! What about the baby!" he yelled thinking of just about everything bad that could've happened while they were gone.

"I-I'm fine and so is the baby," she managed to say and he let out the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. "Fiona isn't though! She's in the hospital Irvine!" Moonbay yelled out in a panicky voice. "She's in the emergency room right now!"

"Fiona's in the hospital!" he yelled as he finally sat up and started to get dressed really quickly. "Just stay there and I'll be down there in a little while! Where are you anyways!" he yelled and just wrote down the name of the place on a piece of paper. He felt lucky that he knew where it was. It wasn't so lucky that it would take a bit of time to get there.

He quickly said goodbye before he hung up the phone and got completely ready. 'I should probably tell Van as well. I don't think he'd like it if anyone kept this a secret from him even if he's having plenty of problems of his own,' Irvine thought but figured that he'd better just head over to Van's.

* * *

Van found himself just staring up at the ceiling. He took a quick look over at his clock which read that it was only about midnight by then. 'I thought that it'd be later than that,' he thought turning his head to stare back at the ceiling. 

Van had thought it over all through the day and had come to a decision about what he was going to do. In some ways, he had no choice but to go with this option. It was unfortunately the most painful one to make because it came at a great cost that he didn't want to give up.

Everything appeared to be true. Tiffany was having his child. He really had no choice but to remain with Tiffany and see what he could do to make his marriage with her work even at the cost of having to end things with Fiona.

Van could think back to what happened just a few hours before when he went back to Tiffany to tell her of his decision. She seemed all too happy to accept it much to his displeasure. It wasn't that pleasant of a visit because of the others results it produced. One's that made Van cringe at the thought.

Flashback

Van knocked on the door at around seven that night. He hated his decision but there was too much pressure on him and he knew that it would be unavoidable. He still didn't know how things could've gone from so good to as bad as it did in such a short amount of time.

The door opened and Tiffany looked out of it and beamed at Van. "Van, what a pleasant surprise to see you here," she said although she didn't look the least bit surprised that he was here. She probably even knew what it was about.

"Listen I just stopping by to say that I'm calling off the divorce," he said and she smiled even broader. He seemed to twitch on the spot. "Can we talk about this inside?" he asked her and she nodded and got out of his way.

He walked in and took a seat on her couch as she went in to make a cup of tea, which was always her preference over coffee. He saw her come back in a few minutes later and take a seat across from him and stare at him waiting for him to say something first.

"I want to make something straight first. I'm not doing this for you," he said and saw her smile falter a bit before he continued speaking. "It wouldn't be fair to the child if I was to just leave like that," he said frowning as he stared down at his clasped hands.

"That's ok. I guess I could only expect that much after what you did," she said but her voice didn't sound nearly as cheerful as it did when she first opened the door. "But we're going to have to set down some rules for this," she said staring at Van sternly. "I don't want you going near that Fiona girl ever again!" she said with anger flashing through her eyes.

Van couldn't believe he was hearing that but then again, he somehow figured that she would pull a stunt like that. She obviously didn't want any sort of competition for Van and Fiona was the biggest that she could get. "Forget it! No matter what happens she's still my friend!" he yelled although he figured that he probably wouldn't be able to face her after this.

"Think I care. I'm not going to have you run out on me again for her. What would our child think of it?" she yelled at him. "She'll just be in the way of us again! I want this to work out just as much as you do but you'll need to make some sacrifices for it to work!"

Van didn't say much but she seemed to do a lot of yelling. He just tried to leave as quickly as possible. There were a lot of things that he had to do. Each more painful than the last

End Flashback

Van refused to admit that she was right. If Fiona was around, it would just make it harder on him to try and make a loveless marriage work. He wondered what was worse, raising a child in a loveless marriage or raising the child separately.

His parents weren't very happy when he called them and told them about what was going on. Him as well as his parent all had hopes for Van and Fiona but Van knew that he had to try and forget about it all. He had to think about his child before his own hopes with Fiona.

Van turned over and was about to get some sleep when he heard a knocking at his door. He wanted more than anything to just not listen to it and leave himself to his misery but he still found himself getting up and walking out of the room he once shared with Fiona towards the door.

Van opened it up and saw that it was just Irvine that was standing there. "Hey Irvine," he said in a dejected tone of voice as he turned and walked back inside. "I made a choice about what I'm going to do," he said before Irvine could even speak. "I feel I need to try and make my marriage work even if just for the sake of my child."

Irvine was afraid that something like that would happen but he had more important business at hand. "Van there's no time for that. You need to get dressed quickly. I know you have your own problems but Moonbay just called me and told me that Fiona was in the hospital!" Irvine said in an urgent voice.

Van seemed to pale at this news. 'Fiona's in the hospital?' he asked himself wishing for it to just be some sort of joke but he could see that Irvine was serious. "I-I wish I could go but I can't," Van said burying his face in his hands. He knew it sounded rather cold but he didn't have a choice.

"What do you mean you can't go! Fiona's in the hospital and she probably wants you with her right now! Are you just going to leave her waiting for you like that because you're feeling all this pity for yourself!" Irvine yelled at him furious that Van wasn't even going to try to come with him.

Van just stood up quickly and started to walk back to his room. He had this big urge to see Fiona in her time of need but he didn't see the point in it if the only thing he could do is something that will make everything all the worse for her. "Tell her I'm sorry for me," he said before closing and locking the door to his room once again. He just wished for that horrible day to end.

Irvine growled loudly before he just turned and slammed the door to Van's house on the way out. He knew that Van was just trying to do the right thing for everyone but Irvine thought it was stupid and that he was probably just inflicting more pain on others than he realized.

* * *

It was about two in the morning before Moonbay was woken up from a slight nap she was trying to take when Irvine came rushing into the hospital. She was happy to see him and rushed up and hugged him tightly. "Thank god you're here!" she yelled while her forehead rested against his chest. 

"Yeah, I came as soon as you told me. Is there any news of her condition yet?" he asked her but she just shook her head no and it seemed to make Irvine feel even worse. "What exactly happened to put her in here?" he asked as the two of them walked over and took a seat.

Moonbay started to explain all that had happened up until the point when she came into the room and saw Fiona. "She was just laying there on the floor with blood all around her. The entire room was trashed. I was so scared when I saw it Irvine!" she said laying her head upon his shoulder.

"It's ok Moonbay. Fiona's a strong girl. I know she'll make it through it,' he said doing whatever he could to calm down his worried wife. It was unfortunate that it didn't seem to have quite the effect that he was looking for.

"You didn't see it Irvine! This worse than anything I've ever seen!" she said in a slightly raised voice. She was shaking at just the memory of it. For someone that was normally very calm and strong, this seemed like it was a completely different form the Moonbay everyone used to know.

It took a while but Moonbay finally started to calm down. It was only then that she really seemed to take notice that Irvine had come alone. "Where's Van? I thought for sure that he'd want to be here for Fiona," she said wiping her eyes.

Irvine just scowled at the memory. "He isn't coming. He says that he's planning on staying with Tiffany!" he growled out and he heard Moonbay gasp. "Wanting to stay for his child is fine but Fiona's really hurt and he was acting like a jerk!" he spat out as he hand clenched into a fist.

Moonbay was stopped from responding to that when a doctor exited the emergency room and approached the two of them. "Excuse me, are you the young woman that came in with Miss Lynette?" he asked Moonbay.

Moonbay stood up glad that they may finally be able to get some sort of news on Fiona's condition. "Yes I am. How is she? Is she going to be ok?" Moonbay said starting to pelt him with more and more questions.

"Please slow down. I can only answer so many questions at once," he said before looking at his clipboard. "As for Miss Lynette's condition. We seem to have her stabilized for the moment but the injuries were pretty substantial. Do you know how it happened?" he asked solemnly.

Moonbay just shook her head. "No. She was only supposed to go and get something from the room but never came down. That's how I found her when I went to check on her after more time had passed than she said it would," Moonbay exclaimed wishing to get the image of that room and Fiona out of her head.

"Anyways, she's resting right now but I'm afraid that I can't let you see her until we get a better assessment of her situation. You'll probably only have to wait a few more hours," he said before he turned and walked back into the emergency room.

Moonbay breathed a small sigh of relief but it still wasn't enough to calm her completely because anything could still happen to Fiona. She would only feel fully relieved when they knew that Fiona would be fine.

* * *

Van sighed as he zipped up his suitcase the next morning. He didn't want to move out of here because he really enjoyed living here with Fiona. It held so many fond memories for them. Maybe that was one of the reason he wanted to get out. Tiffany would find him if he continued to live here with her having his child. This was a place that he didn't want to share with her. 

He decided that he would just move back into his old house. It would allow him to be close to his child during all that time before it was born. He knew that he wouldn't be happy no matter what happened though.

There was only one time that he could remember feeling this lousy. It was just after Fiona had left him seven years before. This time it was him that was leaving and yet it still made him feel just as bad. It was like leaving his heart behind him.

Van dragged his suitcase out to the car and looked at the place he'd called home with Fiona for months one last time before he got in his car. He watched slightly as he drove the car away from the lovely beachside home.

Van just drove with a placid look on his face. Except for the idea of a child, he had no other reason to be happy anymore. The fact that the child wasn't Fiona's also made it much worse on him. He wished that Fiona was the one pregnant so that he'd actually have something to be happy about.

About twenty minutes later, Van pulled up in front of his old home. It was a place that just didn't seem very comforting anymore. All he wanted was to be back in the other house with Fiona. He knew that it would be impossible now for anything to work between the two of them.

Van stepped out of the car just as Tiffany stepped out of the house. Apparently she was leaving to go somewhere since she had her purse with her. She actually looked surprised to see Van there and ready to move back in already. "Wow! I expected it would take longer before you willingly moved back in," she said with a laugh as she approached Van.

Van sighed as he saw that she was trying to kiss him. He just dodged it and started to walk back to the house. He heard her growling in frustration as he opened the door and walked back in without even saying one word to her. He was glad that she was leaving. It meant that he would get a few more hours to himself before his hell got started.

He just set his stuff, which months before he'd just been trying to get out of the house, by the door and then started to look around. Everything was so unfamiliar to him now and he knew that he'd never be able to get used to it.

Tiffany always said that she hated most of the stuff they had when they lived together before and he guessed that she changed everything almost immediately after her left. Van actually liked it the old way. His mother actually helped him arranged everything when him and Tiffany first moved into the house. He guessed that was one of the reasons that she hated it. She never got along with his mother.

Van sat down on the couch that he felt was much less comfortable than the one this place used to hold and leaned back wishing that he could just die right then. It would just save him from the misery that he was almost sure he was about to go through.

It was almost an hour after that before he finally decided to move again. he took it upon himself to get familiar with this new place once again. He knew where to go in the house but it was still unfamiliar with all the new furniture.

He slowly walked up the stairs that led to the bedrooms and just started to go through them. All them were exactly the same except for one room that he had absolutely no need for then or now. It was basically Tiffany's own personal room for all her private stuff.

Van had never had much of an interest in the room and even when their marriage was mostly ok, she refused to allow him in that room. She was just lucky that he never had enough of an interest in it to even bother with it.

Van walked to the room that he at one time used to share with Tiffany and saw that it too was completely different from before. He was beginning to wonder how she could even afford to be able to buy all of this new stuff. It must've cost her a fortune which he wasn't aware that she could afford.

Van groaned as he walked back down the stairs and fell onto the couch. 'How did I ever get into this mess?' he asked himself as he laid down on his back and stared up at the ceiling just as he had done the previous night.

'Is there any way to get out of this mess I'm in?' he asked himself as he ran through his hand through his hair which had fallen down form his normal style and he didn't feel like working to get it back up right then. 'No point. I'd have to prove that she's lying or she'll keep going on as she did.'

Van groaned as he stood up and started to walk up the stairs towards one of the guest rooms. He wanted a nap and wasn't ready to start sleeping in the same bed as Tiffany once more. He wondered if he ever would be ready to give up his memories of him and Fiona for that.

Van walked past Tiffany's private room but tripped over something that had somehow escaped from it. "How'd this get here? Tiffany's always been a neat freak. She wouldn't just leave something like this out here," he said as he turned towards the room next to him.

'No point leaving it out. It's not like I'm going to be looking around,' he thought as he opened the door to the room he'd never stepped a foot in before. The place was filled with all sorts of things. Van didn't know why she was so adamant about keeping him out of it before. It didn't look like there was anything valuable in there.

Van walked over to the desk in the far corner and placed the object down on it. He couldn't help but notice that the desk had several pictures plastered all over it. Some he noticed were of him and she didn't look to happy with them since a few were torn up. He guessed he couldn't blame her.

Van figured he spent enough time in the room and turned to leave before Tiffany suddenly found out that he was in there. Unfortunately he was stopped once again by almost tripping on a loose floorboard that was in the middle of the room.

"What the," Van said as he kneeled down and looked at it. It was just sticking up slight but seem to also look like it'd been pulled up several times before then. He also took notice that there appeared to be something underneath it.

Van's curiosity got the better of him and he slid his finger underneath the small board and pulled it up slightly. He was surprised when it came up easily and was even more surprised to see a small book lying hidden underneath it.

Van reached in and pulled the book out. "What could possibly be in this to make her want to hide it," he asked himself as he turned it over and examined it. 'I wonder what's in it,' he thought as he carefully opened the book to the first page. 'It's a diary,' he thought snapping the small book in his hand shut.

Van looked at it for a few seconds before he opened it again. He was too curious about what was going through her mind to just leave this alone when answers to any question he ever had about Tiffany was right in front of him as if just waiting for him to read it.

Van hesitantly started to read the words on the first page. It appeared to be just after the two of them met. 'I met this guy recently. His name is Van and I couldn't help but notice him as I was taking a walk one night. Apparently he was supposed to be very rich. It ought to be very interesting to see what's going to happen.'

'That was short,' Van thought as he flipped a few of his pages. He didn't like what he read though because it sounded as if the only interest she had in him in the beginning was because of his money. That was not exactly what he had in mind when he first asked her out.

Van flipped through several pages seeing that many of them were just as short as the first one. 'He finally asked me out just as I suspected her would. I thought it would take for ever. All he ever did when I talked to him was blubber over some bitch named Fiona. Bet I could make him forget all about her. She obviously didn't know what a goldmine he'd become or she wouldn't have let him go.'

Van growled as he read it. "She really doesn't love me at all does she? All she seems to think I am is a source of money for her!" Van grumbled as he flipped a few more pages. Just reading all these were seriously making him reconsider his decision no matter what the circumstances were in the first place.

Van turned to the next page and noticed the difference in the date. He figured she must've put off writing in this for a while. 'It took longer than I thought but I've finally managed to get him to propose to me. Bet he never even thought about it with that other woman. In just a few hours I'll finally be his wife and I'll have everything I ever wanted in my life.'

Van sighed as he flipped a few more pages and came to a stop. 'I don't believe him! Everything was going perfectly for me and then he just get up and runs off with the woman that was supposed to have broken his heart seven years ago! I don't see what it is about her that attracts him to her! I've everything she has and more. So what makes her so special to him?'

Van turned it until he came to the last page. He was surprised because the thing was labeled for barely two days ago. It was also a bit lengthier than the rest of the entries. "I wonder what she could have so much to talk about," Van muttered to himself as he started to read it.

'I got some really startling news the other day, I'm pregnant. As if I didn't have enough bad things in my life to worry about. No way he'll take me back if he finds out about this. That is unless I actually make him think it's his. Of course this ruins my career completely I think.' Van growled a bit at that. He couldn't believe what he just saw.

'I've come up with a great plan just the other day. I know Van has this stupid sense of honor so I figured that I could use that. If I was to make it look like this child is his then I'll have him back for sure. He'll probably want to have another test. Maybe if I can get one to fool him then he'll believe it without any questions.'

Van gasped in shock. He didn't know how he could've been so foolish as to believe what she said. Of course she would do that if she figured it would get him back. 'She must've known that I'd find out eventually and discover the truth and leave her,' he thought as he continued reading hoping for an answer.

'The real question is how am I to do it without having him realize the truth. He'll more than likely figure it out eventually and will end up leaving me again. That's something I can't have.' It said and Van couldn't help but nod in agreement.

The next part of the entry really made Van's blood boil more than the rest. 'I think I just figured it out. Not like I really wanted this stupid child anyways. What if I was to get an abortion and claim that it was a miscarriage? If I know Van, he'll feel bad for me and still remain. It has to do with that stupid honor of his.'

Van couldn't take reading anymore of it and slammed the little diary shut. He knew that if he hadn't found it that her little plan probably would've worked too. 'I can't believe I was such a fool to believe that she could've actually be having my kid!' he thought angrily as he slammed his fist against the wall.

'She never loved me, I was only a source of money to her. She'd do anything to make sure that she didn't lose that, including playing on my dream of someday having a family of my own!' he said as his body started to shake in anger.

Van suddenly heard the sound of the door opening and closing downstairs. 'I'm home Van!" he heard Tiffany's voice yell from the bottom of the stairs. He could hear the quacking of her voice and knew she was about to put on the biggest act of a lifetime. He'd be ready for it though.

Van stuffed the little book in his pockets and tried to straighten up his face a little. He figured he'd let her play her little game before he gave her the biggest shock of a lifetime. He found it hard not to just yell at her as soon as he saw her.

Van walked out of the room silently so that she'd still not know that he was in there. he then walked toward the stairs and started to walk down them just as she started to walk up then. "Are you ok?" he asked fighting the urge to roll his eyes at the sight of the fake tears that were coming down her face.

Tiffany looked at Van with a look of pain on her face. She then ran forward and buried her face into Van's shirt and shed the fake tears that she'd been practicing hard for when he decided to come back. "No, I'm not! I was just at the doctors. Apparently I had a miscarriage!" she cried in a very convincing way.

Van suddenly had a great idea for a good way to piss her off. Maybe it would even get her to admit to the truth. He managed to pick up one thing from the room before he left, a small tape recorder. He'd get her saying it herself.

"Y-you mean that I'm not going to have a kid of my own?" Van said glad that he knew how to act as well. He never had a real need for it right then. He looked at her as she just shook her head no sadly. "Ok then. I guess I can go now!" he said fighting the urge to laugh out loud at the look on her face.

Tiffany was completely shocked because this was not the way she figured he would act. "You're leaving?" she said as more fake tears streamed down her face. "You're not even going to comfort me!" she yelled still faking like a woman that was hurting from the loss of her child.

"You're a strong woman," Van said without even looking behind him. He knew that she was losing her temper and quickly. He turned on the little tape recorder and waited for what he knew what was about to come.

"Are you really that cold hearted of a person Van!" she yelled and he just shrugged his shoulders. This was definitely not going as she had planned. She expected him to be all over her because of her grief, not walking away like he didn't even care that the child was dead.

Van turned and looked towards her. She wasn't even looking at him; she was looking towards the floor shaking. Van had to admit that's he was definitely a very good actress. He wouldn't be fooled by her any longer. "Sometimes I can ask you the same thing," he muttered as he turned around again.

Tiffany looked up at him quickly and had an appalled look on her face. "How dare you! I go through all the trouble of lying about this being your child to get you back and you insult me!" she yelled before she realized what she said and slapped her hands over her mouth before she blurted out anything else.

Van grinned knowing that he got exactly what he was looking for. "Just what I needed to hear," he said with a grin as he shut off the tape recorder. Better to have her say it without him bringing it up or people would think that he tricked it out of her.

Van dug around in his back pocket and grabbed the diary and threw it at her feet. "I knew all about your scheme when I read this. No wonder you didn't want me to go in that room. You were afraid I'd find out the truth of you being a lying bitch!" He said before he turned and grabbed his suitcase and left.

Van stopped at the door first and then turned a scowling face. "If you think that I'm going to call off the divorce now then you'll sorely mistaken!" Van said before walking himself out the door promising that he would never come back there ever again. He'd have Fiona soon so he had no reason to.

Van got into his car and drove off. He saw her running after him but he didn't give a care as he drove down the road. He managed one quick look at the clock and saw that it was only about nine in the morning by then and that he could go see Fiona.

* * *

Irvine and Moonbay were glad when they were finally able to go and see Fiona. They had to keep her under close watch all night and it was nearly eleven in the morning before they were finally able to see her. 

The sight that met them wasn't exactly the greatest. Fiona looked to be a complete mess laying there in her hospital bed. Her forehead was wrapped in a bandage that was already slightly soaked in blood. Her right cheek also had a bandage on it but it didn't seem too bad. Fiona's left arm was in a cast and they could also see the bandage that was wrapped around her chest just barely peaking out of the hospital robes that they made her wear.

"We had to sedate her last night and a bit this morning so she'll still be out of it for a while. I don't think she'll really know that you're here," the doctor said coming in and checking on Fiona's IV bags before he turned around and then left the room writing something on his clipboard.

"Van should've been here for her," Moonbay grumbled as she sat in the chair next to Fiona's bed. She looked at Fiona's face. One eye was turning a dark color and looked like it was starting to swell. She even needed an oxygen mask just to help her breath.

"I don't think he'll be able to keep away from her for long no matter what Tiffany puts in his head," Irvine muttered as he took one of Fiona's hands and held it lightly. Fiona wasn't like a sister to him but rather he considered her an actually sister. The once vibrant sister he knew didn't seem like the woman in front of him.

Both of them sighed knowing it was pointless to talk to her since she was probably not going to talk back to them. They just sat there in silence until it was broken by a nurse walking in carrying a bag of what looked like blood.

"Oh good," Moonbay muttered since they knew that Fiona lost a lot of blood and would need some more. Unfortunately Fiona had a very rare blood type and there weren't many that had the blood that she needed. Having this meant a much faster recovery for her, or at least they hoped.

"Someone just came in and offered to give blood knowing he had a rare blood type. He was more eager than anyone I've ever seen giving blood before," The nurse said strapping the blood up so that it was starting to be given to Fiona. She then left the room without another word.

"I guess we should be thankful for that person. Van could've also since he has Fiona's blood type as well. I always found that rather funny. Both have one of the rarest blood types," Moonbay said with a small laugh.

Moonbay then stopped laughing when she heard a small groan coming from the bed. She turned her head quickly just as she saw Fiona's eyes peak open slightly but shut when she saw the bright lights of the room. "Oh sorry," Moonbay said dimming the lights a bit.

"W-where am I?" Fiona asked struggling to breathe a bit. Her head turned ever slightly and she instantly regretted that action as pain surged through it and she forced herself back into the position that didn't hurt quite as much.

"In the hospital. You were attacked Fiona and for a while I didn't think you were going to make it," Moonbay said placing a hand carefully on Fiona's shoulder to kept her from trying to move again. "Do you remember who did this to you Fiona?" Moonbay asked and she saw Fiona make the most slightest of moves but she could tell that it was a nod. "who?" she asked eagerly because she wanted to kill the person that did it.

"Ethan James," a voice said softly at the door causing all that could to look in the person's direction. They saw Van standing at the door. "He's already been arrested and is being held without bail for the time being," he said carrying what appeared to be white roses in one arm and the other arm had a big bandage around it. It was obvious that he was the one that gave the blood.

Moonbay looked towards Irvine and just jerked her head towards the door and he got the unasked question as the two of them stood up. "We'll come by later to see how you're doing," Moonbay said as her and Irvine walked past Van and out of sight to leave the two of them alone.

"I… uh… got you some flowers," he said holding up the white roses for Fiona and took a few steps towards her. "I'm sorry this had to happen to you Fiona," he muttered as he took a seat in the chair that Moonbay had occupied only a few moment before.

Fiona turned her head despite the pain and looked at him. Just having him there made her feel a great deal better despite all the pain. "It wasn't your fault. You didn't even know where we were," she said weakly since it hurt her to speak. Her eyes suddenly held sadness at the memory of what happened before they left. "Why aren't you with Tiffany?"

Van placed a finger over Fiona's lips to stop her from talking. He saw how much it pained her to do so. "Let's not talk about it," he said softly as his hand went up and carefully brushed a stray strand of hair away from her face.

Fiona snuggled into Van's hand when he cupped her cheek. It was so wonderful being there with him again. She suddenly felt herself growing tired and her eyes shut and she fell into a peaceful sleep.

Van smiled when he saw her fall asleep. Despite all her injuries and bruising, she was still the most beautiful person her knew. He stood up carefully and leaned over placing a small kiss on her lips before he settled back down figuring he could use a good nap after such a long and stressful day.


	21. encounter

Van woke up later in the day feeling a great deal better than he did earlier that day. He looked towards Fiona and saw that she was still sleeping. He knew she didn't deserve to be in the position that she was in and hoped that Ethan would seriously pay for putting someone as nice as Fiona in the hospital.

"So you decided to wake up huh?" Moonbay said from the door as she walked in with an apple in her hand. She walked and took a seat in the chair on the opposite side of Fiona's bed. "What made you change your mind about coming?" she asked remembering what Irvine told her when he first came in. She was ticked off about it but felt like she could forgive him if he gave a good enough excuse.

Van looked towards her and did something that she didn't expect, he grinned. "I just learned that Tiffany was lying. The child wasn't mine and then she had the nerve to get rid of it calling it a miscarriage so that I wouldn't be able to find out that it wasn't. I find her diary though and it told me all I needed to know. I show you the recording of her confession later," he said with a grin giving Fiona's hand a small squeeze.

"I don't believe her!" Moonbay said in a slightly raised voice but not high enough to wake Fiona. "I feel sorry for the kid. Even I know it did nothing wrong to be killed like that!" she said angrily. She hated abortions which is why she never considered it when she learned she was pregnant.

"I know. I managed to get a confession from her without even bringing it up. There's no way she can talk herself out of that. I was a bit cold hearted about it but I don't really care. I only wanted to get out of there and back to Fiona at that point," he said staring longingly at Fiona's face.

"So the divorce case date is still on?" she asked and Van just nodded his head. "Good. That's something that's been a long time in the making. When is it?" she asked taking another bite out of her apple. It was the only thing she would eat here because the hospital food was disgusting.

"It's later this week. I have to say I'm looking forward to it," he said looking back towards Fiona and caressed her face. "I think the evidence of her lying is stacked too much against Tiffany to pull another stunt like she did on TV," he said while leaning back in his chair.

"Good," was all she said before she too looked towards Fiona. "How did they know who did this to Fiona before she could even say it to anyone?" she asked examining Fiona's battered body.

"People saw him leaving the hotel apparently and he was in a huge hurry just as the ambulances pulled up. People thought it was suspicious. Not to mention I finally got to tell the police about the two attacks he made on Fiona before then. She didn't feel it was necessary to tell them even after he attacked her twice. It was too much stacked against him and they went and arrested him. They don't have the exact evidence to hold him until Fiona tells them but they have to keep a close eye on him until she can so that he can't escape," Van said with a sigh of relief. "He'll be in there for a good long time. All they need now is Fiona's confession," he said tightening his hold on Fiona's hand.

"Good to hear," she said with a smile. She then saw that Fiona was waking up and decided to give her and Van some time to talk. "I guess I better go find Irvine," she said standing up and she threw the apple core in the garbage can before she walked out of the room silently.

Fiona's eyes opened and that the lights weren't on full blast like last time. "I wasn't dreaming, you're actually here," she said when she saw Van leaning towards her with her hand firmly clasped in his own.

Van chuckled a little as he brought Fiona's hand up to his lips and kissed them. "Of course," he said as he reached over and moved a few stray hairs out of Fiona's face. "How're you feeling now? Any better than earlier?" he asked looking into her crimson eyes with all the worry he could muster.

"Not really, it still hurts just to speak," she said softly in a raspy voice. "What about Tiffany? What about your child?" she asked but Van just put a finger to her lips to silence her before she could say anything else.

"If it hurts to speak then you don't have to. As for Tiffany, she lied in the worst way and I left. It was never mine but she had the gall to get rid of it so I wouldn't find out," he said hoping that she didn't have anymore questions. He saw that it really did pain her to speak so he didn't want her to talk.

Fiona gave off a smile. It was such a huge relief to know that she wasn't going to end up losing Van again. She just hoped that Tiffany would back off after that so that they could finally live in peace together. Things never seemed easy to the two of them but Fiona felt that they could work on that.

"I have some business to attend to but I promise that I'll come back to see immediately afterwards," Van said and Fiona nodded as he leaned in and gave her a quick kiss before he stood up and started walking towards the door. "Be sure to get more rest. You need it after what you went through," he said before leaving.

* * *

Van made a few arrangements so that he could meet with Ethan and also tell the police what Fiona told him. He was not going to let Ethan get off with putting in that condition without making sure that he paid greatly for it.

Van walked into the police station glad that it was only a few blocks away from the hospital. It meant that when he was done that he'd be able to get back to Fiona quickly. He wondered if maybe he'd be able to get her transferred to a hospital closer to home but then found he didn't care because he'd make sure that he was with her whenever possible.

Van walked up to a man that was sitting by the desk and pulled out some identification. "My names Van Flyheight and I'm here to speak with the man you're holding for the attack that happened last night Ethan James," Van said as the man took his identification.

The police seemed satisfied with the identification. "Yes, they've been waiting for you. Just go through that door and go all the way down the hall. Turn left and then it's the second door on the left," the officer said and Van just nodded and walked through the door.

Van followed the man's directions and walked down the hall and turned a left. He saw that there was a man waiting outside the door and he just nodded to Van and opened the door as both of them walked in.

"I hope you know that unless we actually get some evidence that we can't hold him for very long. Just because he was there isn't enough to hold him prisoner. We've barely been able to keep him very long because of the workings of his lawyer," the man said coming to a stop in front of a one-way window.

"I know. I appreciate what you did though. The woman that was attacked recently woke up and has stated that it was him directly. You may want to talk to her just make sure that you don't ask anything that takes a lot of talking to respond," Van said and although he hated to have to put Fiona through it. He wanted to make sure that Ethan couldn't hurt her anymore.

The man nodded and then went into a door but Van just stood outside it looking at the despicable man that was behind the glass. He then walked into the room behind the man. Ethan didn't even look up at him and Van was sort of glad for it.

"Why am I still here?" Ethan asked looking only at the table. "I've done nothing wrong. Just because I have a past with her doesn't mean that I'm responsible. You only have me here because I was walking away from the scene," he said in a relatively calm voice.

"True but we now have some evidence linking you to it," the detective said as he took a seat on the other side of the table from Ethan. He saw Van just leaning against the wall. "We have to wait till your lawyer gets here before we do anything," the detective said as he tapped his fingers on the table.

"I don't see the point of this. Some girl dies and I'm the immediate suspect just because I used to be her fiancé," he said as if he didn't even care. He still refused to even look at anyone in the room.

"Seriously injured, she isn't dead yet," Van finally said and he saw Ethan's head shoot up and stare in shock at Van. "In fact, she's already awakened and it's kind of funny but she even stated that you attacked her," Van said doing his best to keep his anger in check. He was pissed because Ethan clearly just wanted Fiona to die.

"Yeah well she's a liar! She lied all the time when I was her fiancé!" he growled out hating the sight of Van. "It seemed fine to me before you came into the picture Flyheight!" he said angrily as his hands clenched into fist on top of the table.

"Don't give me that bullshit of Fiona being a liar! You and I both know that she is bad at it!" Van said but was quieted when the detective gave him a warning look. He obviously didn't want a fight to start in there.

"You obviously don't know her then," Ethan muttered before he too quieted down because of the look the detective was giving him. He only had to wait until his lawyer got there and he was sure that he'd be able to get out of here quickly. He felt confident enough that he'd get out.

They only waited about ten minutes before another man came into the room. He looked very business like in a business suit and his hair well kept. His face was stern and serious. It wasn't exactly the friendliest looking of people.

"Greeting Mr. Anderson. We've just been waiting on you," the detective said as he stood up and shook the man's hand. "Mr. Flyheight is here on behalf of Miss. Lynette since Mr. Shubaltz is busy at the moment with another case," the detective said and the man just nodded towards Van.

"Let's just get down to the point. Why is my client still being held? He has his rights and is being held without any evidence against him. All you have are circumstantial evidence," the man said with a sneer on his face as he looked towards the man in front of him.

"We've merely brought him in for questioning because of his link to Miss. Lynette," the detective said keeping a calm demeanor in front of a rather intimidating man. "It is necessary to question him because of his already known violent past," the detective said.

"My client has no record whatsoever up until this point. He barely even has a misdemeanor. Like I said, you're holding him under circumstantial evidence and it would be wise to let him go," the man said glaring at the man.

Ethan smirked at the man feeling he had a firm grip on the situation. Except for Fiona's word on it, he had ways that he could get around that situation though. "Thank you, that is exactly my point," he said smugly as he leaned back in his chair and surveyed the scene that was shifting in his favor.

"I'm afraid that's not true," Van said stepping forwards. "This isn't the first time that something like this has happened to Fiona. About a month or two ago, she was attacked when shopping at the mall and people can vouch that he was seen running away from that as well. It was only under the good nature of the victim that she didn't press charges for that. Then even before that, when they were together, he accused her of cheating without evidence and hit her then," Van stated all the times that he could remember it happening.

Ethan smile turned into a scowl at Van's words. "She did have an affair, and it was with you. All I did was break up with her when it happened," he said with a scowl feeling like he wanted to strangle Van but he kept it in because he knew it wouldn't help him at all if he did.

"No. You didn't break up with her. She ran from you after you hit her for not sleeping with you. I saw the marks on her face that night. They were from her being hit. She was fine when she left Moonbay and came home but turned up hurt and scared," Van said hoping to provoke his tempter enough. That was the best way he could see to show them Ethan's temper.

"I did not hit her!" Ethan yelled at the top of his lungs as he stood up and was about to attack Van but was caught by the detective as Van back away. Ethan then realized his mistake and calmed down but glared at Van.

"Mr. Anderson! You will restrain you client from any further actions. I think this meeting is over. He'll be held here for the time being. I guess it's proven that he has a bit of a temper," the detective said as he left the room with Van following close behind him. Then two guards came in a few moments later to take Ethan out.

"That wasn't very wise to do. But it does give the point across that he's capable of attacking someone," the detective said as him and Van walked down the halls back towards the entrance.

"I'm sorry about that. I was just stating things exactly as they happened. I didn't know he was going to react as badly as he did. Maybe it was because he knows that it was true but didn't want it to get out," Van said but the detective just shrugged his shoulders.

"We've sent people to talk to Miss. Lynette. We'll call Mr. Shubaltz about any set dates," the detective said as he nodded towards Van and then turned and walked into an office while Van walked out of the police station all together.

By the time that Van got back to the hospital, he saw the people that were sent to talk to Fiona were just leaving. They nodded to him as they passed him and he just walked into the room without even looking back at them.

"I'm back," he said seeing Fiona lying down on the bed. He saw her smile at him and that made the whole situation seem at least a little better in his opinion. He loved to see that smile and he was glad that she had enough strength to do so. "How did the interview go?" he asked hoping it wasn't too hard on her.

"Fine," Fiona said in a soft and slightly raspy voice. She didn't try to do anything else because it hurt for her to even move. She apparently had several broken ribs and several cracked bones all over her body. She knew it would take a while for her to heal up but she felt she could handle it.

"Ethan's been arrested for sure now and we really just have to wait for the date for going to court. You'll still have to go through that Fiona because you were the victim. I'll be there for you though. You'll have a great lawyer too. Karl Shubaltz. You've already met his brother," Van said sounding a bit annoyed at the last part.

Fiona nodded her head lightly. She didn't really feel like going through it but she also didn't want to go through what she just did again. She just knew that if Ethan went free that she'd have a good chance of getting hurt again. "Ok," she was barely able to say before she laid down. She felt so tired and only felt like sleeping until the day she had to go to court.

* * *

The day that Van had been waiting for had finally arrived. He would finally be able to get that divorce he been wanting for a long time and then he'd be able to be with Fiona completely. He had a lot of plans that were depending on this being finished. Karl said that they had all they needed and Van felt relieved by that but it didn't help him feel any less nervous.

Having it be several days since she woke up, Fiona was already starting to feel a lot better. She was finally able to sit up and also speak without it hurting too much. That alone was great news to help Van feel better.

"You've just got to relax a bit Van," Fiona said holding his hand in a comforting way. "I'm sure that things are going to be just fine. You have all that you need just recorded already," she said remembering what she heard on the tape a few days before. It only added to her growing dislike of the woman that was once Van's wife.

"I know that but I'm just afraid that she's going to try to pull something like she did before," Van muttered as he leaned back. His head fell back and he stared up at the ceiling as if hoping that it'd have some answers.

"Somehow I get the feeling that she'll continue to fight but not in that way. I don't think there's anything she could use that would come close to what she tried," Fiona said lifting up Van hand and placed it to her cheek. It was a comforting feeling to her.

Van smiled at how she was trying to calm him down He pull his hand away but kept a hold of her hand and brought it over to give it a kiss on the back of her hand. "All I can hope for is that this'll be quick. I don't think I can keep up going to several of these with you here in need of me," he said with a grin giving the back of her hand another kiss.

"I think I can manage," Fiona said giggling slightly. She'd laugh but that still hurt her too much. Fiona then looked up at the clock and saw that it was already almost noon. "You'd better get going Van. Didn't you say that it starts at three?" she asked and he just nodded. "I'll miss you, come back soon," she said with a broad smile.

"Don't worry, I'll be back as soon as it's over," Van said giving her a passionate kiss on the lips before he backed away as if reluctant to leave. He then just turned and left the room before he had second thoughts of leaving Fiona alone. Moonbay had stuff to do and Irvine had to get back to work.

'I've taken a lot of days off since Fiona first came back into my life,' Van mused as he took the elevator to the bottom floor. Crougar's definitely going to get on my case about it. 'Lucky I kept up with the work while I was gone so he shouldn't have anything to complain about,' he thought leaving the hospital and headed towards his car.

Van got in and did a thorough check that he had everything he needed. "Where's the tape recording?" he asked looking around frantically before he spotted it lying on the back seat. "Oh good. I thought I lost you for a second," he thought deciding to just stick it in his pocket so he wouldn't lose it.

Luckily for Van, Tiffany didn't yet know about it. He used it without her knowing and the shut it off just after the conversation just by making it look like he was putting his hands in his pockets. He was going to make sure that if she tried something like that again, that he'd use it.

He felt a bit of a panic when he final reached the place after nearly a two hour long drive. He stared up at the court house as he got out of his car. Van was glad that the front of the courthouse was empty except for the normal people. He didn't feel like having to deal with the media right then. He knew that Tiffany must've said something but he made sure to add precautions to keep them away.

Van seemed hesitant. Sure he wanted the divorce more than anything but he also didn't want to have to face Tiffany. He then just sucked it up and walked forwards. It was definitely busy at that time of the day. He had to keep weaving through people just to get in. 'Here it goes,' he thought finally entering the large building.

* * *

Fiona was getting more and more bored out of her mind. She looked towards the clock and saw that it was nearly six by then. Six hours since Van left. She'd been all alone in the room for a while now and it was boring not being able to talk to anyone. The doctors were always too busy to talk.

Just when Fiona felt like she was about to die of boredom, a head peeked into the room. Moonbay then grinned as she entered the room and took a seat by Fiona's bed. "Thought you might be getting bored all alone in this room for the past few hours," she said trying to get herself comfortable. "Any news yet?" she asked putting her hands behind her head.

"No, Van hasn't even called yet so I'm guessing it's taking longer than he expected," she said reaching over for a glass of water. "It drives me nuts that I'm stuck here not being able to know what was going on. If only I could leave then I'd want to be there with him," she said with a pout on her face.

"Yeah well you're in no condition to move. Oh! By the way, I brought you something," she said handing Fiona a box of chocolates that she bought for her. "Thought you'd like something besides that lousy hospital food they've been serving," she said making a disgusted face.

"Thanks," she said taking the box and opening them, she noticed that a few were missing. "Got hungry?" she asked and Moonbay just shrugged with a casual look on her face which Fiona just laughed at. "They expect to help people get better but they probably just make them even more sick feeding us that stuff," Fiona said just wanting to have a good laugh at least she would've if it didn't hurt so much. Moonbay always did know how to lighten a situation at least.

"When this child comes, then I'm going to bring my own food. Don't want the kid to get sick so soon in it's life because of horrible food," she said pointing to her stomach which was already starting to show a little.

Fiona giggled for a little before she grabbed the remote and turned the TV on. The news loved this story so she figured that they'd try and get something about it. "How do you think it's going?" Fiona asked not taking her eyes off of the TV.

"If you're looking to find something on there then you're wasting your time. Van pulled a lot of strings to make sure that they couldn't come near the courthouse," Moonbay explained as she too looked at the TV. "Probably going ok I guess," she muttered turning her eyes before to Fiona.

"I hope so. He's been looking forward to this for a while. It'll be a shame if it didn't go as he wanted," Fiona said turning the TV off and ate a bit of the chocolate. "Think she'll give up after it's over?" Fiona asked as she stared at the small box in her lap.

"Probably since she signed the documents willingly," a voice from the door said which caused Fiona's head to turn quickly and a broad smile adorned her face at the sight of Van. "Hey there sorry it took so long," he said walking over and giving Fiona a hug and kiss.

"It's not a problem although you did keep me waiting too long without telling me what was happening," Fiona said with a pout but all it earned her was another kiss which she was happy to receive. "So… she signed them willingly? How the hell did you get her to do that?" Fiona asked a little stunned. She never thought that Tiffany would give in so easily.

"It was more in an effort to save what little dignity she had left. She tried to remain with the story she concocted but it didn't go as easily as she thought when I immediately brought up the recording. She only did it so that she wouldn't be humiliated anymore," Van said looking really happy that it was all over now.

"So she isn't coming back?" Fiona asked and mentally cheered when she saw Van just nod his head. It was finally over. They wouldn't have to deal with all of her crazy stunts to save a marriage that was already dead.

"It's just you and me now," he said sitting on the edge of her bed. Van suddenly had a nice idea. It would be peaceful and get them out of the hospital for more fresh air. "Hey I have an idea. Why don't we go for a walk?" he asked placing a hand on Fiona's shoulder.

Fiona looked at him as if he were crazy for a second and then looked down at herself. "Um… I'm kinda not able to be moving around, doctor's orders," she said although she wished that she could get up and move around, she's been stuck in the bed for the past few days.

"No problem. I'll ask him and then see if we can get you a well chair," Van said with a smile before he left the room. He knew he could take his time because Moonbay would definitely be able to keep Fiona occupied until he was able to locate her doctor. He just hoped that it wouldn't take long.

"Congratulations, you finally have a chance to marry him again," Moonbay said with a grin. She decided to just remain silent for the time Van was there but figured it would be ok to talk again.

Fiona blushed a little at the mention of that. "Oh come on Moonbay. He just got out of a marriage. I somehow doubt that he'd want to get into another one so quickly," she said although she had to admit that the idea of being married to Van was very appealing to her.

Moonbay looked at Fiona the same way as she did Van for a second, like she was crazy. "We're talking about Van here Fiona. The guy's head over heals in love with you. If I were in his position, I'd propose as soon as possible," she said with an amused sort of tone to her voice.

Fiona blushed a little at the thought of it. She just figured that it might still be a little early to think about getting married but she probably wouldn't object if he did ask her. It is what she'd been wanting for years during and after their relationship.

The two just talked for a few minutes before Van came back into the room and he was pushing a wheelchair in front of him. The doctor was following behind him looking skeptical. He just went over and started checking things. Probably just to make sure that Fiona was well enough to be outside. Especially after all that she'd gone through less than a week ago.

The doctor sighed when he saw that Fiona looked good enough to at least go outside in a wheel chair. "You'd best be careful and try not to do anything to reopen some of those wounds. Other than that you look good enough to go out," he said before he turned and walked out of the room quickly.

Van just smirked as he watched the man walk out of the room. "Took a bit of convincing to get him to finally agree. I said you could use the fresh air since I always find that it helps me get better. He didn't like the idea but I told him you were good enough to at least get pushed around in a wheel chair. Not much work in that," he said as he pushed it over towards Fiona. "Your throne my queen," he said happily.

Fiona giggled at Van and sighed when she was carefully picked up and placed in the chair. She cringed a bit at the movement because of her broken ribs but she felt much better when she finally got to sit down. "Thanks Van," she said looking up into his dark eyes.

Van just grinned and kissed the top of her head as he started to push her towards the door. He'd been stuck in the hospital most of the time too and only left when he had something too important to miss. This would be good for him and Fiona because they'd both be able to get the fresh air they deserved.

There was a comfortable silence between the two of them all the way down to the main lobby of the hospital. There was a special area behind the hospital that was made so that patients who were well enough to be moved around could go out and relax. There were a lot of restrictions to it though, like if you had a contagious disease that you weren't allowed to be out there.

"How does this feel Fiona?" Van asked as he pushed the wheelchair out the back doors and into the bright sunlight. The sky was perfectly clear and there was a refreshing breeze blowing softly across the lawn.

Fiona's eyes closed as she breathed in the fresh air. The breeze blew lightly across her face and her hair blew along with it. "This feels great," she said looking perfectly content and relaxed. "It feels so good after being stuck in the hospital bed for the past few days," she said as Van pulled her next to a bench and took a seat himself.

"I know. Being stuck in there with horrible food and not being able to move around is tough," he said and Fiona just nodded. "At least the company can be good," he said placing a hand on her shoulder and kissed the top of her head.

"Yeah," she said as she closed her eyes and felt the breeze lightly running across her face. "I don't know what I'd do if you weren't there with me the entire time I've been here. Thank you," she said holding onto his hand tightly.

"There's no need to thank me. I'll always be there for you when you need me," Van said giving Fiona a weak smile while giving her hand a squeeze. "I should be the one thanking you for taking me back after my stupidity of believe Tiffany," he said as he closed his eyes and cringed at the memory of what he almost did because of it. He almost had to just forget about Fiona all together.

"I don't blame you for that Van. What you did was the right thing to do. It would've been selfish of me to keep you to myself when that happened. I'm actually happy that she lied. It would've hurt to lose you again," she said squeezing Van's hand a little harder than she meant to.

"Tiffany's probably given up because she knows that she could lose a lot more if she keeps pulling the stunts that she's been pulling. That only leaves one person to get rid of. Are you up to it Fiona? Do you think you can go and testify against him?" Van asked in a worried tone as he stared into the crimson eyes that he loved so much.

Van looked into her eyes and saw the pained look as if she was remembering that night. He really hated to put her in this sort of position but her testimony was needed if they were going to have Ethan put in prison for a long time. "Fiona?" he asked quietly while placing a hand over hers as she clutched the arm rest of the wheelchair so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

Fiona turned her eyes towards Van and then looked towards the floor. She didn't know if she'd even be able to face Ethan after that. Even if he was on trial and she had to testify. "I- I don't know," she stuttered as images of that night came back to her. It wasn't that bad up till now because she didn't have to worry but the thought of facing him in trial seemed too much for her and was overwhelming her all at once.

Van didn't like the look in Fiona's eyes. He knew what she went through would be traumatizing for a while. He just hoped that facing him would be able to help Fiona get over it. "You know I'll be there for you Fiona. You won't have to face him alone," he said placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Fiona looked into Van's eyes and managed a weak smile. "I know that. I was happy to learn that he was finally in prison. I guess that the thought of having to face him is just scary," she said and he just nodded his head in agreement. "Do you promise that you'll be there Van?" she asked timidly.

"You know I will," he said giving her his best smile. "I don't think there's anything that they could do to keep me away from there," he said making her laugh which was much more appealing to Van than the scared voice that she'd been using.

"I'm glad," was all that she said holding out a hand as a bird flew over and perched on one of her fingers. 'I know I can do it as long as Van's there," she thought carefully stroking the bird, which seemed happy with it.

Van was amazed. Birds always flew away from him but they seemed to come so easily to her. 'She so delicate with everything. Bet she'll be that way with our kids,' he thought finding just the mental image of that to be very appealing.

Van stood up and started to push Fiona's wheelchair farther out and towards a small fountain that had placed in the center of the place. "So Fiona. Do you have any idea when they're going to let you out of here?" he asked taking a seat at the edge of the fountain as Fiona stared at her reflection in the water.

"The doctor said that depending on how I'm feeling, I'll be able to be out of here by at least Wednesday," she said in a happier tone than she felt. She was still a bit freaked out by the trial. She knew it was to come but the thought being brought up was still too much.

"That's good to hear. I'm going to take you out after that. You name it and we'll do it. How does that sound?" he asked and she just smiled at him which made the whole upcoming situation seem a lot better now.

"Sounds like it'll be a nice night," she said kissing him on the cheek. 'Maybe it'll be just what I need to get over this fear I have of having to face Ethan," she said as her fingers skimmed across the water.

She looked at her reflection and all the bandages that still adorned her face. Her hand came up and brushed over the bandaged which were still slightly red from her blood. 'I wonder how many scars I'll have to remember this by. What will Van think of them?' she thought to herself. She didn't care if it ruined her looks because she wasn't too concerned about that but scars would mean that she'd have to remember that night over and over again.

Van looked over and saw her hand placed over the bandages. He reached over and placed a hand over her own. It was as if he knew what she was thinking to some extent. "I won't love you any less for scars Fiona. You have a great healing system though so I don't think you'll get any," he said although he knew that the real reason was more of the memories each of them would hold.

Van suddenly remembered that there were a few things that he had to do. First off calling his parents because the last one wasn't under the best circumstances. Then there was something more important than that he had to do. Something that actually made him willing to leave Fiona's side for a few hours.

"Hey listen Fiona, there's a few things I need to do. Do you think you'll be alright for a few hours?" Van asked and saw Fiona pout but knew she was ok with it. "Do you want to stay here while I go get Moonbay or have me take you back to your room?" he asked kneeling down so he was eye level with her.

Fiona just smiled and kissed Van on the cheek. "I think I'll just stay out here. I like the fresh air," she said and Van just nodded. "Just be quick," she said with a pout and this time it was her that was kissed but on the lips rather than on the cheek.

"You bet. I'll be sure to be back later," he said standing up to full height and slowly started to back away before he turned around and walked into the hospital watching as Moonbay just passed him at the same time.

He saw Moonbay just grin at him as he walked past but they didn't say anything to each other. He just continued walking until he was out of the hospital and at his car driving back towards his and Fiona's home. He hated the drive but figured that it wasn't something he could control. He was just glad that it wasn't too far away.

* * *

Van pulled into his driveway nearly and hour later and got out of the car. He was grinning as he walked up and went inside. It was actually the first time that he'd been in the house since he heard that Fiona was in the hospital. 'It's good to be home though,' he thought as he set a few things down.

Van walked over and grabbed the phone and dialed in a number hoping they were home. His mom was definitely mad about his decision before but he was sure that this was going to cheer her up.

The phone rang three times before it was picked up by someone he didn't expect to pick it up. Usually it was his parents or Maria but this time it was Mike. "Hello?" he asked as if unsure if that was the right thing to say.

Van chuckled and finally spoke. "Hey kid. How're things going down there?" Van asked with another life and he could almost see the smile that flashed across the kids face and then he also heard a groan from the other end of the line and knew exactly what was coming next.

"Please don't tell me it's true!" He said sounding a bit frantic. Van couldn't help but wince at the tone of his voice. "Grandma's saying you together with dragon lady again!" he said and Van could almost hear his sobs.

Van knew the kid could put up quite a show and make Van feel really bad about his decision. Van wouldn't put it past his mother to put her grandson up to this for just that reason. "Um… yeah, about that. Can I talk to your grandma?" Van asked trying to hold in his laugh.

He could hear Mike grumble for a few seconds before his mother picked up the phone and said her hello. "Nice try putting him up to that mom. Won't work this time," Van said first thing but he was laughing at the same time.

"Well I had to do something to make you change your mind. I wasn't going to let you ruin your life again by going back to her," Karin said with a hint of sadness to her voice. She had such high hopes for Van and Fiona this time around but they were being dashed before he eyes again.

Van agreed with her there. Now that he really thought about it. Marrying Tiffany was probably the worst thing that ever happened to him even though he thought it second best when it first happened. The best being meeting and falling in love with Fiona. "I know mom," he said in a quiet tone.

Karin obviously was a bit shocked to hear her son admit it and remained quiet for a good amount of time. "So… what is it that you called for? Don't you have a wife and baby to take care of?" she asked a bit bitterly.

"Nope," he said brightly and could almost see his mother's confusion over the phone. "I'm divorced now. She had the gall to lie about it being mine and then got an abortion so that I'd never be able to find out. Thought that I would still feel bad and stay with her," Van said still growing angry at the mere mention of it.

"Really?" his mom asked clearly not trying to hold in her excitement. "I mean I'm happy for you. You could be with Fiona now just like you always wanted to. Where is she? I want to talk to her?" she said excitedly but also trying to hold back a little.

Van scowled a bit at the thought but then calmed down. It would do him no good to talk angrily when he was talking to his mother. He took a deep breath before he decided to start talking again. "She's in the hospital," he said quietly.

Karin gasped immediately. "Is she ok! What happened! Why is she in the hospital!" she spit out so many questions in her panic. Fiona was basically another daughter to her and would really be if she could get Van to propose. So naturally she was really worried to hear this.

"Her old boyfriend came back to her while Moonbay and Fiona were out of tone. He was angry and beat her up. No one could stop it because no one was around that time," Van said taking a seat and clutching the couch. He wished he could've hit Ethan when they met just to let off his anger but he knew that wouldn't look good on his part so he was forced to hold himself back.

Karin sighed sadly on the other side of the line. "How is she? What is the extent of her injuries?" she asked in a worried tone and Van could basically hear her pacing back and forth all over the place.

"There's multiple cuts and bruises not to mention a very bad sprained ankle. Nothing's broken but she's a bit jumpy at the mention of having to go to court to testify against him. Don't blame her after what she went through," he said running his hand through his hair. It was all getting very frustrating to him.

"The poor darling. Tell her I send my regards… unless," she said but Van knew what was about to come. "We'll be down there in a few weeks to see her ourselves, Bye!" she said before the phone was hung up before Van could even have a word about it.

Van just hung up the phone but grinned. Sometimes he thought that his mom was just a bit too predictable. In this case, it was a good thing. "Perfect," he muttered to himself as he walked towards their room. He had some things to do and not a lot of time to do it.


	22. their happiness

It felt really refreshing when Fiona was pushed in her wheelchair out of the hospital the next Wednesday. It was getting a little too frustrating being there and having to have test after test taken to make sure that she was alright and capable of being released.

It was a pleasant and breezy day. The temperature was starting to cool down a bit since fall was approaching them. They weren't low enough yet to need a coat but just enough so that you could still get away with a short sleeved shirt.

Van stood behind the chair being one to push it. He looked down at Fiona's contented face and couldn't help but smile when he saw the one on her face. The bandages were still there but all the bruising seemed to have disappeared over the last few days making her look close to normal again.

Fiona noticed Van staring and her head looked up at him and she just smiled brightly back as he pushed her towards his car. She was only still in a wheelchair because her sprained ankles were still bothering her a bit. She could probably get away with crutches but Van wouldn't have any of that.

When they reached Van's car, he helped Fiona to her feet and gently placed her in the car before he placed her wheelchair in the trunk and then got in the car himself. "Happy to be going home?" he asked her looking towards her but was surprised when he saw that she had fallen asleep already.

"She must've been much more tired than she let on," he said with a smile brushing a strand of stray hair out of her face. He then turned his eyes to the road and drove away hoping that they wouldn't have to come to a hospital for a long time. 'Unless maybe it's for better circumstances,' he thought with a grin.

It was quiet for the entire drive home except for the light breathing of Fiona in the passenger's seat. Van didn't say anything either because he had other things to worry about such as the approaching trial against Ethan. He knew it bothered Fiona but he swore that he would make sure that she made it through it.

It was at least a good hour or two later before the pulled up into the home. Van Just tried to carefully pick Fiona up without waking her and carried her inside so she could continue to sleep peacefully until she wants to wake up.

Van walked into their room and carefully placed Fiona in bed and covered her up. He looked towards the clock and saw that it was only around noon then. He had a meeting at six with Irvine but other than that he had didn't have anything else to do for the time being.

Van just smiled as he too got into the bed next to Fiona and wrapped her in his arms. Her back was pressed to his chest and he kissed her shoulders deciding that he too would take a nap for now. It'd been a while since he'd been able to sleep peacefully in their bed with Fiona at his side.

* * *

"Not too bad," Van said as he helped Fiona while removing the bandages since she didn't need them anymore. It'd been a few weeks after they came home and Fiona was looking much better already. He was studying most of the wounds and they appeared to be healing a lot better than either of them suspected. 

Fiona looked at herself in the mirror and traced her fingers over the red marks on her face. They were healing pretty fast and she was surprised that they didn't appear to be leaving any scars behind. She was thankful for that since she didn't want to have to remember that night every time that she looked in the mirror.

Van finished taking off the rest of the bandaged which were much less and much smaller than what she had when they first came home. He then kneeled down and examined her ankle carefully. "How's your ankle feeling?" he asked carefully turned it but not too much.

"Much better. It's a lot easier to put weight on it," Fiona said as she stood up and walked around just to show him. Even if it wasn't, the smile that Van gave her was enough to make her forget about everything else.

"Good to know," he said as he stood up and took her hand. He'd basically served her at every whim since he brought her home and even when she started to come back to work did he keep a close eye on her and make sure that she didn't overwork herself in her already weakened state.

Fiona suddenly stopped when she heard a knock on the door. She walked over and opened the door and smiled when she saw that it was Karl standing at the door but then she frowned because she had a really good feeling that she knew why he was here. "Hello Karl. Please come in," she said moving out of the way.

"Thanks Fiona," he said with a nod of his head as he walked in carrying a small packet under his arms. He walked into the house just as Van was walking into that room. "Good day Van. I've got some important news for the both of you," he said and saw Fiona's frown deepen.

Van walked over and placed a comforting hand around Fiona's shoulders. "Of course. We knew we should probably be expecting that soon," he said leading them into the living room where each of them took a seat.

Fiona watched as Karl set his things down and started to look over them without saying a word. "Would either of you like a drink?" she asked politely and both Van and Karl nodded their heads. "Is coffee ok?" she asked again and they both nodded before she stood up and walked into the kitchen.

She came back in a few minutes later and handed each of them a cup of coffee before she took a set as well and listened patiently as Karl straightened up and looked at the two of them with sympathy.

"I've gotten word of the court date against Ethan James," he said and Fiona's increased even more if it was possible as he hands clenched tightly together. "It's going to be held two months from now," he said looking over a paper with a serious look on his face.

Van looked towards Fiona and placed a hand over hers and he felt her relax under it. "It's going to be ok Fiona," he whispered into her ear and she nodded. "How do you see our odds in this case?" Van asked Karl but he kept his eyes on Fiona.

Karl didn't seem to be too worried about it. "Our odds look pretty good since he was seen running away each time that Mrs. Lynette was attacked," he said rested his chin on his clasped hands. "I must warn you Mrs. Lynette. They might try to make you look bad in this. It's the only case I can really see them putting up under the circumstances," he said looking at her with sympathy.

Many idea of how they planned to do that were swarming through Fiona's mind. Most of them didn't look too good. "How so?" she asked quietly but relaxed a little when Van's hands squeezed hers. It was always a great comfort to have him there during these type of times.

"My guess is to try and put most of the blame on you. I don't know exactly how though," he said and Fiona just nodded her head in understanding. "If you can tell me all the stuff about your relationship with him now. I might be able to do things to get through them if they are ever brought up," he said listening intently.

"There isn't much to say about it. We were going out for a year before he proposed. I don't even know why I accepted in the first place. During the time we went out, during our engagement, all the way up till the day it ended he seemed more interested in sex than anything else," Fiona explained and watched as Karl scribbled a few things down in a notebook.

Karl set his pen down and looked back towards Fiona. "Tell me more. How things were besides that, the night it all ended, and your encounters with him afterwards," he explained as he read her face carefully.

"He seemed to care for me before then. There were a few times that he lost his temper though. There were also several times that he got drunk and became rather harsh with me but I didn't think too much on it and always just tried to forget it or come up with excuses in my mind," she explained not looking at anything but he hands.

Van looked towards Fiona a little shocked. That was something that he hadn't heard before then. "How come you haven't told me about that before now?" he asked trying to catch her eyes but all he saw in them was shame for hiding it for so long. He wished he'd known sooner.

"It's not something I'm very proud of right now. I was always afraid to be alone ever since I left you Van," Fiona said wiping a tear from her eyes. She wished she had left him long before then. She forced herself to be happy with it. "I always put a smile on my face and made myself believe that I was happy. It seemed to work until I got this job and saw Van again," she said finally looking towards Van's face.

Karl just nodded his head as he listened to Fiona's words closely. He was starting to get a fairly good idea of what they might try to use. "I see. How did he react to the news that your old boyfriend was your new boss?" he asked scribbling a few things down in the notebook. He knew he'd have to ask these of her during the trial but he figured that getting a feel for her situation would make things easier. Not to mention she would also know what to expect.

"He got angry. Demanded that I quit my job," she said remembering that it was just a simple statement by Van that caused it. "He was really on edge after that. He didn't do anything though. Then one night I went out to dinner with Moonbay," she said and flinched at that memory as well.

Van saw that Fiona didn't want to continue because nothing good came out of that night. "He caught her coming home late and accused her of cheating on him with me. Almost tried to force her to have sex with him just so that he could be sure that she was still a virgin or not. He hit her around quite a bit if the wounds after that were any proof. She got scared and ran off after that. She came to me and she never thought of going back to him after that," Van said and got an appreciative glance.

"So after that you saw him two more times and both of the times he attacked you?" Karl asked and Fiona simply nodded her head before resting her forehead on Van's shoulder. "If convicted, he could serve around fifteen to twenty years or so for the three attempts at assault and battery with aggravated assault the third time and you've mentioned him sexually assaulting you the second and first attempts, he's basically been stalking you as well. It does come to around there," he said going over the long list of offenses Ethan made.

Van looked towards Fiona and saw her nod her head. "If he's to go to prison, what's to say that he won't come after her again when he gets out," he asked looking towards Fiona knowing that she was wondering the same thing.

Karl smiled a bit at the mention of this. He had no worries about that. "A restraining order has been placed upon him already and to come after you again would just put him back in prison," Karl said straightening his things. "I think that'll be enough for today. We'll get together again and discuss the case more some other day," he said standing up and shaking hands with Van and Fiona before he left.

"I know you aren't looking forward to this trial Fiona but it's something that has to be done. You won't have to put up with him after that," he said holding her close to him. He saw that she still looked scared and smiled at her sympathetically. "I believe in you," he said tightening his hold on her.

Fiona found Van's words to be really reassuring. "Thanks Van. Maybe I'm just being foolish about all this," she said with a small yet emotionless laugh. "Just promise me that you'll be there for me. Don't leave me alone with him again," she said in a pleading voice.

Van just pulled her to him as close as possible if there was even anymore room between them. "You'll never have to be alone with him again," he whispered kissing the top of his head. "I'll be there with you until the end so you have nothing to worry about," he said feeling her relax in his arms.

"Thank you Van," she muttered before she kissed him on the lips which ended up being ruined by Van's stomach growling. Fiona just laughed though as Van blushed in embarrassment. "Let's get some dinner," she said taking his hand and dragging him towards the kitchen.

* * *

Van found himself staring up at the ceiling the next morning not able to sleep. His parents were coming in the next day and the house was a bit untidy. He didn't want Fiona to have to do any of the work because it was his responsibility this time and he wanted her to be completely rested up for what was to come. 

It'd been a few weeks since Fiona was in the hospital but his parents insisted on coming down. They were just tied down up till now so they weren't able to come out any sooner than tomorrow. Van didn't mind though because he didn't think Fiona could handle the fuss in her previous injured state.

There really wasn't much to do but it did take an hour or two to get it and Fiona wasn't awake by the time he was done. He also made sure that all their important work for the next few days were done so that they would have it easy for a little while. He also figured that he could do the rest of the work needed at home today.

Since Fiona wasn't awake yet and he turned off the alarm, Van walked into his study and sat at the desk. He looked out the window and saw that the sun hadn't even rose yet. 'I wasn't even able to sleep much last night anyways,' he thought a little nervously. He just laid next to Fiona all night staring at her.

Van pulled out some documents and looked over them a bit. It was all that he could do to keep himself sane right then. Then again, he also found that he wasn't able to concentrate much on the stuff before him anyways.

"Van?" the soft voice of Fiona asked as she walked into the room and saw Van at his desk. "Are you ok Van? Why are you up so early?" she asked as she walked towards the desk. The sun wasn't even up so it kind of worried her a bit.

Van looked towards Fiona and gave a soft smile. "It's nothing Fiona. I just wasn't able to sleep last night," he said grabbing her waist and pulled her down onto his lap. "I just have a lot on my mind today anyways," he said as he watched her lay her head on his shoulder in content.

Fiona closed her eyes in bliss. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked but he just shook his head no. "You know you can always come to me if you're having problems Van," she said kissing his cheek.

Van's hands ran through Fiona's silky hair while his other remained wrapped around her waist. "I know Fiona," he said kissing the top of her head. "Hey Fiona, do you want to go for a walk?" he asked her looking into the crimson eyes that he loved so much. He could always get lost in them for hours.

Fiona looked at Van and smiled. "Sure. I just need to go get changed," she said as she reluctantly got off Van's lap. She started to walk to the door but stopped and turned towards Van. She then blew him a kiss and then turned and walked out the door towards their room.

Van smiled and thought of how lucky he was. He had the most beautiful woman alive. She had a great personality and loved him for himself and not what he has. 'What did I do to deserve such a wonderful woman?' he asked himself as he followed after Fiona.

Fiona joined him again wearing a simple lightweight sweater and a skirt that went to about mid-thigh. He thought she looked beautiful. 'Then again, she looks beautiful in anything,' he said as he kissed her lips and then took her hand so that they can have their small walk on the beach.

The two of them walked hand in hand down the beach with a comfortable silence between the two of them. The sun was just then starting to rise in the horizon casting the two in the glow of it's first lights.

Van stopped and Fiona did to as they looked out into the water and saw the sun rising slowly. Van through his arm around Fiona and pulled her close to him as they watched the beautiful sight before them.

Van looked towards Fiona's delighted face as she watched the sunrise. It glowed beautifully in rising son and he found himself lost in her beauty. "Fiona," he said in a nervous tone of voice. How could he not be nervous with what happened the last time he tried this. 'That's not going to happen again,' he told himself sternly.

Fiona turned towards Van with a smile and saw the expression on his face. "What is it Van?" she asked with that sweet smile of hers. It only added to the intensity of her beauty. "Van?" she asked when she just saw him staring at her.

'This is it, the perfect opportunity, don't blow it!' his mind berated him as he reached out and took Fiona's hands in his. "I love you Fiona. I've always loved you. When I was married I loved you and nothing can ever change that," he said as he saw Fiona look at him in slight confusion.

Van decided to suck up his courage and do it before anything happened to them again. He did this once so he didn't know why it was so hard to do it again. "I can't live my life without you anymore Fiona," he said as he saw her eyes widen as if she was catching onto what was going on.

Van reached into his pocket and got onto one knee in the soft sand of the beach. "Fiona Alisi Lynette, will you marry me?" he asked showing her what appeared to be a very expensive ring that was different from the one that he planned to use so many years ago. Van didn't want a reminder of back then so he got a new and better one for this time around.

Fiona stared at Van as her eyes filled with tears of happiness. He was actually proposing to her. She though he wouldn't do it anytime soon since he was just out of a marriage but that didn't matter to her now. "Yes, yes, a thousand time yes," she repeated throwing herself at Van knocking them into the sand as she kissed him passionately.

Van just laughed as he laid in the sand. He then took the ring out of the case and slid it onto Fiona's left ring finger. This was what he always wanted and now he has it. He's finally getting married to Fiona. He'd get to do all the stuff that he missed out on before.

Fiona continued to kiss him passionately in the sand before she pulled away and stared down at him. He looked as delighted as she did. When Ethan proposed she wasn't too enthusiastic and he seemed to be more proud of himself than happy for the two of them. That's always what she loved about Van. It was almost always about the two of them and not about himself.

Fiona the raised her hand and looked at the ring. "This isn't the one I remember seeing," she said noticing that it appeared to be a lot more valuable and much more beautiful. She didn't care about that though. It could be ugly and not mean any less to her. It was a sign of her future with Van and that meant more than the most expensive ring in the world.

"I wanted not a reminder of the past but of our future," Van said capturing Fiona's lips again. Her moans were moving him on as he kissed her chin and then down to her neck but she wasn't even trying to stop him.

Fiona just moved her head to give Van better access to her neck. She was scared last time but she felt like she was ready now. "Why don't we head back? Take me back to bed," she said seductively in his ears and knew that he caught onto what it was that she wanted from him now.

The kisses seemed to stop as Van's head moved away and his eyes searched her for any signs of hesitation but he didn't see any. She honestly wanted this once again. He then smirked and whispered into her ear. "I have a better idea," he said with a grin as he carefully flipped them over so that he was on top.

A heated blush crossed Fiona's face as she knew what it was that he was implying. "H-here?" she stuttered looking around and seeing that they were in a wide open area in which anyone would be able to see. That is if they were even up to see it at this early time in the morning.

Van just chuckled at her innocence. "No one's up at this time in the morning Fiona. The next house is a good three miles away and the main road is even farther than that. All this land belongs to me. There'll be no one there to see us… or hear us," he said with a wide as his hand reached up into the bottom of her sweater and rested on her slim hips.

Fiona seemed apprehensive about all this at first but when she felt Van's lips upon her neck again all apprehension seemed to fade away immediately as she just enjoyed it and decided to just forget everything and go with the flow.

* * *

"But why can't I Van?" Fiona pouted as she put on a nice dress later that night. They were supposed to meet Irvine and Moonbay for a business dinner in thirty minutes. Her dress was pink and went down just past her knees. It was sleeveless and also modest in the chest area. 

Van turned around as he tried to tie his tie and looked at Fiona in her nice dress. "I want to as well Fiona but just trust me about waiting to tell everyone about our engagement until tomorrow. Trust me when I say you won't regret it," he said with a smirk thinking how his parents were supposed to come down.

Fiona pouted a bit wishing that she could just tell everyone then. She didn't see any reason why she had to wait to tell them tomorrow when they were going to be seeing them today. She just wanted everyone to know that she was going to be married to Van soon.

Van walked up to Fiona from behind and wrapped her in his arms. "Don't worry about it. I have my reasons for not wanting to tell them today. It's just one more day and then you can brag to everyone you know about it. Just trust me," he said kissing the top of her head.

"If you say so," Fiona said not thinking of any reason that he could have. She then walked over and helped him with his tie since he seemed to be struggling a bit more than usual to get it tied just right.

"Thanks Fiona," Van said when she tied it perfectly and then walked away on slightly wobbly legs. This just made him smirk. After their nap, they went at it at least three more times before now. He knew she'd be walking funny for a little and he was proud to say that it was his fault.

Their eventual shower wasn't too helpful because that was one of the places that they went at it. They ended up having to force themselves away to take separate showers eventually. It was pretty much hard for them to keep their hands off each other right then. Not that either was complaining except for having to leave each other alone for the few minutes that each was in the shower.

Van smiled and grabbed Fiona's hand and they walked out the door. They both got into Van's car and drove into the city and to a very nice restaurant where Irvine and Moonbay were waiting as well as Karl. It was just supposed to be a relaxing way to talk about the upcoming trial and Karl wanted Irvine and Moonbay to come along as well. Van wasn't sure why though

Van didn't feel like having the stress of the last meeting so he knew of the perfect way to help everyone relax was to get something to eat. 'At least it helps me relax,' he thought with a grin about others things that helped him relax as well.

Fiona watched the scenes pass by and then noticed the beautiful engagement ring still on her hand. She smiled never feeling happier in her life. She never wanted to take it off but Moonbay was sure to notice. So she carefully pulled it off her finger and reached for the back of her necklace. She would make sure that she had it on her at least.

She slid it onto her necklace and then tucked it away so it wouldn't seem any different from normal. It didn't feel right not being able to wear it the way it was supposed to be worn but she decided to trust Van and hope that he actually knew what he was doing.

They pulled up to the nice restaurant a few minutes later and exited the car. They took each other's hand as they walked in and up to a waiter. "Table reserved for Van Flyheight," he said and the man just nodded since he was expecting them.

He then led them through the crowds of what appeared to be rich people. Van hated being in places like these but he felt it was always good to make a good impression during business trips no matter how much he knew the people he was having the business with.

They approached a table and saw that Irvine and Moonbay were there looking nice in the suit and dress that they were wearing. Karl was there too looking very professional. There was also another man at the table and Van wasn't nearly as pleased to see him as he was the rest of them.

Fiona looked and saw that Thomas was sitting next to the table. He looked up at that moment too and his face brightly immensely at the appearance of Fiona before him. 'Oh no,' she mentally grumbled.

"Miss Fiona. I'm very pleasantly surprised to see you here. It must be the work of fate!" Thomas said excitedly as she stood up and ran up to Fiona and took her hands in his. "I wasn't sure if I'd ever get to see you again!" he said with a smile that seemed too large and far too creepy.

Fiona chuckled nervously. She wasn't afraid of Thomas but he was making a rather big scene right then. "Um… it's nice… to see you too Thomas," she said trying to lightly pull herself away from him.

"Always a pleasure to see you," he said before her hands were suddenly grabbed out of his. He turned and glared at Van as he held Fiona's hands tightly in his own. "What was that for Flyheight!" he yelled glaring at Van.

"I'd really appreciate it if you didn't hit on my girlfriend," Van said as he gave Fiona's hand a gentle tug and led them over to the table. "Nice to see the rest of you," Van said as he pulled Fiona's chair out for her before he walked over and took a seat that was right next to her.

Karl looked at the fuming Thomas and sighed a deep sigh. "Sit down Thomas. You're only making a fool out of yourself," he said and watched as Thomas took his seat but glare at the man that was sitting across from him.

All of them ordered their food and got into a discussion about the trial while they waited. "Ethan's ordered a top notch attorney to defend him," Karl explained as he took a sip of his water. "As far as I heard, the man's never lost a case and is known for his ruthlessness. I believe you met him didn't you Van?" Van asked turning his eyes on Van to see his reaction.

"Yeah. I thought the guy was a jerk. It seemed that he thought that whatever he said was right. I wanted to punch his face in the entire meeting. Not to mention I wanted to punch Ethan's face in even more," Van said and heard Fiona giggle a bit from beside him.

"The guy isn't going to spare you at all Fiona. I'm sure he's even going to do so much research on you that he'll know all your darkest secrets and then easily use them against you. Just make sure that you remain calm while up there," he said and Fiona nodded being a lot calmer than she was the previous day.

"That good to know but what is it that you wanted us here for?" Irvine asked although he never could pass up the opportunity for a free meal and one from a restaurant such as this was even better.

"Moonbay was with Fiona the night of the attack. She's a key witness on our part. You saw him coming out of the elevators correct?" Karl asked and Moonbay just nodded her head. "Not to mention that the two of you are really close friends with her. I'm sure that Mr. Anderson will find a way to use that against us though," Karl said and Irvine and Moonbay just nodded their heads.

"So no matter how good our case is from the beginning, he can change it completely in his favor?" Van asked hoping to get this straight and Karl just nodded his head. "Now I really want to bash that guy's head in," he said and this time everyone chuckled a bit.

Fiona remained quiet but she had many questions that she wanted answered. "What do you think he'll end up doing to make that happen?" she asked anxious but also nervous to hear what Karl was going to say.

"He might use the fact that you've had relationships with rich men to his advantage. It might make you look like someone who's only after money," Karl explained feeling bad that Fiona had to go through all of this. She was such a good and kind woman who didn't deserve this.

Van looked towards and took her hand in his again and gave it a squeeze which earned him a bright smile from Fiona. It was obvious that she wasn't nervous anymore and Van guessed that his proposal might've had something to do with it. It was good just to see a smile on her face in these troubling times.

The conversation was then interrupted as the food came. They each started to dig in but Karl seemed preoccupied. "Oh by the way Fiona. I have something for you," he said pulling out a rather old looking envelop.

Fiona reached over and took the envelop from Karl and examined it for a few moment. "What's this for?" she asked curiously as she started to open it. She dumped the contents into her hand which appeared to be a video tape.

Karl cleared his throat a bit before he started talking. "You're father was a client of my father's company. My father was actually his lawyer directly. That tape was given to us a few years before he died with instruction to give it to you should something have happened to him but only under the special circumstances. There are actually several but that's the only one we can give you at this point. You'll get the rest eventually," Karl said before starting on his own food.

Fiona looked at the tape very curiously. She didn't see why her father had such a tape made for her. She was so deep in her thoughts about it that she didn't even hear Thomas as he tried to talk to her. All of her focus was solely on the tape and nothing else. 'What's on it?'

* * *

Van and Fiona came home later that night tired from all the discussions of the upcoming trial. Fiona didn't seem to be listening to most of it though because she seemed to be in deep thought about the tape and nothing else. 

Van saw Fiona just go and take a seat on the couch and pull out the tape. He walked over to her and looked at it as well. "Why don't you put it in Fiona?" he asked and she just nodded as she got up and placed it in the VCR. "Do you want to watch it by yourself?" he asked prepared to leave if she wanted him to.

Fiona looked at Van and took a seat patting the spot next to her. "I'd rather have you here to watch it with me," she said and saw him nod as he took the seat next to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders as the tape started to play.

It appeared to be in some luxurious looking house that was first shown on the tape. A man was walking around recording the scene before them which appeared to be that of a few people sleeping all over the place. "My what an interesting night last night was," a voice on the TV said taking pictures all over the place.

"I think we really wore them out," it said taking a picture of a little girl that appeared to be no older than four asleep on a couch with a bright smile plastered onto her face. The man on the tape could be heard laughing a bit.

There were many scenes over a few minutes before there suddenly appeared to be some serious yelling going on the caught the attention of the man but didn't seem to be loud enough to wake up everyone in the room.

The camera turned and the man taking the pictures started to walk towards a balcony that was in front of him. Double glass doors were opened and he walked towards the edge and peered down where all the yelling seemed to be coming from and was confirmed when two figures left from the doors below.

"I can't believe you!" a woman screamed at what appeared to be a man. "Have you ever thought about how I'd feel about all this!" the woman yelled pointing a finger into the man's face.

Fiona's eyes widened when the picture came into focus and she caught sight of the two that were arguing below them. "Dad? Mom?" she question seeing the faces of her parents faces but they appeared to be quite a few years younger but she could still tell that it was them.

Van looked at Fiona curiously for a second before looking at the screen. "You mean she was still screaming that loud when she was younger?" he asked with a laugh before Fiona playfully hit him in the stomach but that still didn't manage to stop him from laughing.

"Well sorry but sometimes things just don't happen the way that you want them to Claire!" Fiona's father George Lynette yelled at her mother obviously very stressed about more than just the yelling match between him and his wife. "Maybe if you'd been a better wife than I would've had to make this decision!"

Claire gasped in shock before slapping the man before her with all of his might. Van and Fiona both flinched at just the sound of it. "You're a bastard George! You've put me into a really bad position here and it's like you don't care!" she screamed smacking him again even harder.

"Well how about this! I'm actually happy that this is happening! It's probably the best thing that's happened since I married you!" he yelled at her before he looked up towards the camera. "Damn it! Turn off that camera," he said throwing a rock at the person who shut it off but not without chuckling a bit first. Then the screen went blank immediately afterwards.

Fiona picked up the remote and paused the tape. "What was that about Van?" Fiona asked as she watched the screen seem blank for a few moments. "What were they fighting about? They seemed awfully angry at each other," Fiona asked in confusion. She knew they had an argument and she walked out on them eventually but she wasn't sure it was then.

Van looked down at Fiona. He felt he had an idea what it was about. "It's probably that she found out she was pregnant with you and was angry about it," Van said in a sad tone. "It's sad that she didn't even like you before you were born. I don't see how she couldn't love something so wonderful," he said claiming her lips.

The two broke away from the kiss several moments later and then Fiona picked up the remote and pressed play again. It remained blank for a few seconds before a picture of her father popped up with a big smile on his face.

"Those are my friends for you. They're always trying to preserve my best and worst memories so that they can never let me live it down. Can't say which type that one was though," he said before he chuckled. "It may sound strange but I'm sure that you'll understand eventually," he said giving a soft smile.

A soft fatherly look passed over his face. "How old are you now that you're watching this. I wonder what happened to me. As I'm taping this you're off at your first day of preschool. I couldn't be more proud of you Fiona watching how excited you were at the idea of it. You are my daughter after all," he said with a bright smile that seemed to fade a little as he mumbled a last part. "So similar," he mumbled softly but they heard it just enough to barely know what he said.

"I wonder if you've found someone you could love yet. As you could see. Things didn't go so good between Claire and I. I don't regret the things I did though. Don't regret your actions because you never know when you won't have it anymore. I never got along with Claire but you'll understand what I mean eventually," he said before the recording stopped and the screen went blank.

Van looked down at Fiona and saw a brilliant smile on her face and a small tear falling from her eyes. He reached over and wiped the tear away from her face as she also turned and smiled at him.

"It was nice to be able to see him again. I wonder what all that meant though. He seemed to be holding something back," she said and Van just shrugged. Her head then fell on Van's shoulder. "I'm tired. Let's go back to bed," she said and he nodded before picking her up and heading to their room with no other intention but to sleep.

* * *

Five reviews will get me started on the next chapter, ten reviews will make me finish it before doing anything else. All you need to to click that button and review! In case anyone hasn't noticed there was lemons in this chapter that can be found at Adultfan. nexcess. net/ Aff just removed the spaces. 


	23. secrets

Van's eyes opened the next morning and saw Fiona still fast asleep right next to him with a contented sigh on her face. "My future bride," he said brushing a few strands of hair out of Fiona's face.

He looked towards the clock and knew he had to get going if he was planning on picking up his parents at the airport on time. "I think I'll just let you sleep. You're in for a big surprise later,' he said kissing her forehead before he carefully untangled himself from her and got dressed quickly.

He snuck out of the house and got in his car and drove away silently. He was sure that Fiona didn't wake up yet. 'I must've really worn her out yesterday,' he thought with a grin remembering all that happened yesterday.

Van remembered the tape they watched at the end of the day. "There's something about that tape that doesn't make much sense," Van muttered to himself remembering Fiona's father mentioning something about a decision he had to make. "What decision did he make?" he asked himself knowing it had something to do with Fiona.

"He seemed to be really stressed about something but I don't think it was solely about the fight he had. What happened back then to cause it?" he couldn't help but ask himself. Unfortunately he couldn't think of an answer. "Guess we'll just have to wait for the other tapes," Van muttered to himself.

There was one thing that he knew almost for certain but he decided not to bring it up. "Why would you hide something like that?" Van asked no one in particular. Someone that he'd make sure to have a talk with later.

Van pulled up to the airport a half an hour later and parked the car. He stepped out and walked inside where it was already really busy. It was really hard for him to squeeze through the crowds that were forming even though it was still early in the morning.

Van gave a sigh of relief as he squeezed through to the right gate and took a seat as plane after plane came down. He knew he'd have to wait a few more minutes since the plane was delayed a bit according to the monitors showing the departure and arrival times.

About fifteen minutes later, Van finally saw the plane land and come up to the gate. "Finally," he muttered with a yawn. Sure it hadn't been that long of a delay but he still had to wake up relatively early to get there.

The plane came to a stop and Van waited patiently as the door opened and people started to file out in a neat and orderly fashion, or at least they would've if it hadn't been for a kid running out of it really excited.

"Uncle Van!" The kid yelled happily running up to his uncle. "You're not together with dragon lady, YAY!" he said excitedly as he was picked up and placed on Van's shoulders.

"Michael don't run off like that!" Maria scolded as she walked out calmly and walked over to Van. "Hello Van. Things definitely seem to be getting better for you," she said giving him a quick hug. "Fiona's not here?" she asked looking around expecting Fiona to appear any moment.

"No, she's at home resting. She had a busy day yesterday and deserves the rest," he said deciding to leave out any detail. Yet the look on Maria's face seemed to give him the feeling that she knew what that busy day was.

Van's parents came out a few moments later and seemed to be having a little argument but nothing really bad. They stopped it as soon as they saw Van and smiled. His mother rushed over and gave him a big hug. She then noticed the same thing as Maria. "Where's Fiona?"

Van laughed and gave the same explanation that he gave to Maria. Somehow he got the same feeling as he did with Maria in that she probably guessed what he meant. "Let's get your things and go. Fiona will probably be up by the time we get back," he said leading them towards the baggage claim.

Van put his nephew on the ground and he ran up to his mother and took a hold of her hand while Van fell a little bit back so that he was walking next to his father. "Fiona will be excited to see you," he said since their reason for coming out was Fiona's seriously injured state.

"That's always good to know," Dan said with a smile. "I have a feeling that's not why you brought her up though. Something on your mind?" he asked looking towards his son with a smile.

Van looked towards his father with a piercing expression. "Tell me something, did you know Fiona's father?" Van asked and watched as his father suddenly stopped walking. He even seemed a little stunned that his son asked him this. "I thought so," Van said as the two of them continued walking.

Dan sighed and walked on until they came to the baggage claim. "Found that out from the one tape did you?" Dan asked since he didn't think that Van would be able to figure it out as quickly as that

"I thought it was weird when I heard your voice and then saw Maria there. I've seen pictures so I knew it was her," Van said with a smile. "How come you never mentioned it to either of us?" Van asked giving a questioning look to his father.

"He made us promise not to tell her that. He wanted it so that if anything happened to him that Fiona would live with Claire. He wanted us to keep an eye on her as well. Just to make sure that Claire didn't drive her nuts," he said with a chuckle. "Karin, me, George, and a few others were the best of friends when we were younger," he said smiling at some fond memories of his.

"I see," Van said taking it all in. It was really strange to hear all of this had happened and he didn't know anything about it. "What were the two of them arguing about in the tape?" Van asked grabbing a bag as it came to them.

Dan grabbed some as well and stood next to Van glad that he could finally reveal a few things that he knew. "Fiona," was his simple reply but it was pretty obvious that he was holding quite a bit back.

Van rolled his eyes at his answer. "We figured as much right from when we first heard the argument. I know there's more to it so spill!" Van said sternly as he watched his father very carefully. All this about Fiona's father was really getting interested in his future wife's past.

Dan just smiled as he picked up the last of their bags. "Claire didn't want any children, simple as that. George said that when Fiona was born that he'd be leaving and taking Fiona with him," Dan explained before he went silent and left the airport with the rest of the family.

Van figured that he had a decent understanding of things for now and that his father was being vague with things for a reason. There was something big that he was hiding and Van just knew that he was never going to actually say what it is.

* * *

Fiona yawned as she rolled over in bed but felt that it was empty where Van should've been. "Van?" she asked as she rubbed her eyes and sat up. He was nowhere to be seen and she couldn't hear anything else in the house.

Fiona got out of bed and took a look around but she didn't see Van anywhere. "Where is he?" Fiona asked herself as she headed back to their room and took a quick shower and then threw on some clean clothes.

Fiona walked into the kitchen and decided to make something to eat while she waited for Van to return. She didn't even get started when she heard the sound of the doorbell being rung rapidly.

Fiona sighed and walked to the door and opened it. She then felt something wrap around her legs tightly which caused her to stumble a little. She looked down and was surprised to see that it was none other than Van's and her soon to be nephew. "Michael?" she asked questioningly as she kneeled down before him.

Michael beamed up at Fiona and nodded his head. "Auntie Fiona!" he said happily as he hugged her leg tightly. He definitely liked her a lot better than Tiffany. She was actually kind to him.

"Why are you?" she asked looking up as Van and the rest of them approached. "Oh my! I didn't know all of you were coming over," Fiona said happily as she hugged Van's parents and sister. It was always nice to see them since they were like family to her.

Fiona seemed to understand why Van wanted to keep it a secret the night before. Instead of just telling Irvine and Moonbay, he wanted to be able to tell everyone all at once. 'That must mean that he knew they were coming over,' giving a light glare at Van but he just grinned at her. "Why didn't you tell me Van?"

Van just grinned and kissed her forehead. "Because I wanted it to be a surprise," he said before walking past her. "They're going to be staying here for the trial because they want to be there for you as well. They're just here for a short visit and then they'll come back later. I'm sure they'll stay for a little longer when they hear of our plans," he whispered into her ear with a grin.

Fiona smiled at the thought. Having Van's family around would be the best way to help her get over the thought of having to face Ethan. "So we're having another get together tonight with you family as well as Irvine and Moonbay I take it," she said and he just nodded his head.

"Yep," he said with a grin as he took her hand and led her and everyone else inside. He grinned and leaned over and whispered something in her ear. "One big announcement that I'm sure they won't forget," he said before kissing her cheek and straightened up.

Fiona smiled as she fingered the ring which was still attached to the necklace hidden under her shirt. She forgot to take it off of the necklace so it was still stuck there even now. She was happy that she'd get to tell everyone about it that night.

"If you're tired, the guest rooms are ready," Fiona said and everyone nodded and walked in that direction. That is everyone except Van, his father, and her. "Don't you want to rest? You must've had to get up pretty early to make it here this early," Fiona said looking at him curiously.

"I'm fine for now but thank you Fiona. Actually there's something I'd like to talk to you about. That is if Van hasn't already mentioned it," he said looking towards Van and saw Van just shake his head no. "Van figured it out from the tape you saw that I knew your father Fiona," he explained and he saw her eyes widen in surprise.

The three of them walked over and took a seat on the couch. "So you were friends with my father?" Fiona asked trying to get everything straightened out. This was really big news to her. When she saw him nod his head she grew more confused. "Why didn't you ever tell me about this?"

"I never really did know how the mind of your father worked. He just told us that he didn't want you to know. But he wanted us to keep an eye on you should anything ever happen to him," Dan explained looking like he was really eager to get some of this off his chest.

It made sense to Fiona now how they took such a quick liking to her when they first met despite their resentment of her mother. Fiona giggled a bit. "I sometimes couldn't figure out what he was thinking as well," she said with a small laugh again. Her father obviously didn't change much from when Dan knew him.

Dan, in reality, knew exactly why George Lynette didn't want them to mention it to Fiona. Fiona would get curious and start asking too many questions about her father which would eventually lead her to find out stuff she wouldn't be ready to understand.

Fiona had one other question that she hoped to have answered. "If you knew him so well, do you know why he married my mother in the first place?" she asked looking at him. She just couldn't see what her father could've seen in her mother.

Dan's mouth seemed to be opening and closing like that of a fish. He was really doing a lot of thinking about that question. He then laughed and scratched the back of his head. "To tell you the truth, I have absolutely no idea why he married Claire in the first place. Karin and me thought it was the biggest screw-up of his life," he said with a laugh that seemed to be reminiscent of Van when he was nervous about something.

"George never told us of his reasoning for marrying Claire," Karin said walking into the room a taking a seat next to her husband. "They remained together for three years and then divorced shortly after you were born. Claire never wanted any children and having you there really set her off and she just left," she continued to explain the circumstances of George and Claire.

"We were the best of friends and yet he wouldn't tell us anything. It actually hurt that he wouldn't confide in us. Some more than others," Dan said with a sigh as he leaned back in his seat.

"I see," was all that Fiona could manage to say. It was a little strange to take in that the closest things she saw to parents right then were close friends with her father. "Thank you for telling me," she said with a smile towards them.

Van looked towards a clock and saw the time. "Oh Fiona we have a bit of business to take care of. Are you ok staying here?" he asked turning to his parents who just nodded their heads. There were plenty of things to do around there like going out to the beach.

Fiona nodded her head as well and stood up and the two of them left the house for a short business meeting they had to go to. Van's parents watched them as they left and the smiles seemed to fade as soon as the two of them were out of sight.

Karin looked like she wanted to say something really badly but Dan beat her to the punch. "We've gone over this a hundred times. It is not our place to tell Fiona," he said in a way that said that he'd gone through that far too many times.

Karin didn't look too pleased with her husband's answer. "Why can't we! Fiona of all people deserves to know the truth! Are you just going to continue to go along with this lie that George set up!" she yelled at him but not loud enough to draw the attention of the other two occupants.

"Telling Fiona now may be too upsetting for her! He has his reasons for doing this. We should just decide to respect his wishes and go along. She'll find out eventually but not by us. We'll just have to wait and see what George had in mind," Dan said but he knew his wife wasn't through with it.

"Only five people know the truth. Two of them are long dead, one couldn't give a rats ass, and you won't let us say anything about it!" she said obviously trying to get over the frustration that she'd been feeling at keeping this a secret from Fiona in all the time that she knew her.

"That's enough Karin!" Dan said loudly. He hated yelling at his wife but he didn't want to talk about it anymore. "Fiona will know the truth when George feels she's ready. We won't say a thing till then," he said the last part calmly before he stood up. "I'm going to take a nap," he said giving her a kiss before he left towards one of the other guest rooms.

Karin watched her husband leave with sad eyes that weren't normally on the usually very happy woman. "She deserves better than this Dan," she muttered before following after her husband.

* * *

It was no sooner had Van and Fiona gotten home a few hours later that Fiona was suddenly dragged out of the house by her soon to be mother-in-law and sister-in-law. Van could barely make out the words "Shopping, Be back later," before the two of them disappeared leaving house empty except for Van, his father, and his still sleeping nephew.

Dan and Van sat down on the couch with a hot cup of coffee and it remained silent for a few moments before Dan finally decided to speak. "I see that you decided to get this place anyways. I'm glad. I like this place a lot better," he said looking around the very nicely furnished house.

Van took a sip of his coffee while nodding his head. "Yeah. Tiffany didn't even think twice before saying no. said something about it being too small. I just decided to buy it secretly though. A place I could go when I felt like being alone. It pretty quiet and peaceful so I like it here best," Van stated as his head fell back and he stared at the ceiling.

"Good choice. I would've done the exact same thing in your place. I guess it was useful when you broke up with Tiffany because she didn't know of it so it was the perfect hiding place," Dan said and Van nodded his head again.

"I sure used it a lot when she kicked me out of the house every other week," Van said with a laugh which his father joined in with him. "That ever happened to you and mom? Has she ever kicked you out like that/" Van asked curiously finding the thought of it rather amusing.

Dan just chuckled and scratched the back of his head. "A few times when she was pregnant with you and Maria. The mood swings she had were close to murder on me. It always worked out though and I never held any hard feelings. Even the best of couples will have their fair share of arguments. Thing was, we didn't have the money for places like these back then so I always ended up at George's place. We didn't fight too often though," Dan explained taking a sip of his drink.

"Sounded like you can get into big fights when you do though," Van said and he saw as his startled father look at him. "I forgot something and heard you and mom talking about something. What are you really hiding from Fiona?" Van asked with a sigh remembering what he heard his parents arguing about earlier.

"Your mother's been begging me for years to tell you and Fiona something but we can't. Fiona will learn eventually and it'll be up to her if you're too know," Dan said with a frown not liking how him and Karin were overheard in their argument.

"I agree with mom though, if you have the ability to do something than you should put it to good use. Fiona has the right to know if you're keeping something from her," Van said taking his mother's side in the argument. Fiona didn't deserve to have something hidden from her.

"I'm well aware of that but we don't have any other choice but to keep it from her. She'll find out eventually but it might be too much for her if she learns about it all at once. Give it some time and I'm sure she'll find out the truth," Dan explained before he stood up.

Dan strode over to the bags and started to dig around it. "I have one question to ask you Van," Dan said with a serious tone to his voice. "Are you planning on ever proposing to Fiona at some point?" he asked although he felt he knew the answer. He doubted that Van could ever say no to that.

Van was slightly shocked by his father's words. "Of course, I made the mistake of missing out on seven years with her. I don't plan on that ever happening again," Van said wondering what could've made his father ask that.

Dan stood up and appeared to be carrying something in his hands. "Here, it's another of the tapes. She mustn't be allowed to have it unless you two actually get engaged," Dan said seriously. He didn't know when Van would propose but he wanted to let the have this in case it happened and he wasn't around to give it to Fiona.

Van took it and stared at it. He'd make sure that he gave it to her later that night. 'Two in two days. I thought it would take longer to get the next of them,' Van thought as he stored it in a place that no one could find it until he got it out for her. 'Can't wait to watch it with Fiona. I want to know more about her dad.'

Dan looked at his son and saw the eager look in his eyes. 'He's just like his mother, always eager for anything. He never likes to keep secrets unless he has to and even then he fights,' Dan thought with a smile as he zipped up the luggage again.

Dan then stood up and grimaced at a thought that he had to do. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a death order from your sister. I have to give Michael his bath," he said and saw Van wince. Michael hated baths more than anything. He'll put up a fight for hours if he has to.

Van couldn't help but feel sorry for his dad. He was glad that he wasn't in his position though. Van began to wonder if he'd have this sort of trouble from his own kids. He was pretty sure that anything coming from Fiona would be perfect though. "I'll let it be known on your tomb stone that you fought and died bravely," Van said with a mock bow before scrambling his way out of the house before his father asked him to help.

* * *

"Looks like a tornado just came through here," Fiona commented as they walked inside of the house to see how messed up it appeared to be and that no one appeared to be around at the time. "I wonder what happened," she muttered picking up a table that had been knocked over

Maria just sighed as she walked towards her room and found her son sitting there peacefully while watching television. Her father was pretty much passed out on the floor. "Have you taken your bath yet?" she asked looking at her son with a stern look on her face.

Michael's face paled and he immediately bolted from the room. He'd managed to tire his grandfather enough to get away with not having to take a bath but he'd not be so lucky when it came to his mother.

"Put me down!" Michael screamed when he was suddenly picked up. He saw that it was his uncle Van. "No bath! No bath!" he yelled out frantically as he gave a weak attempt at a struggle but Van was too strong and he was able to hold onto the struggling kid.

Van groaned as he tried to tame the kid. He didn't want anything to do with bath time but he knew his sister would make him do something if he didn't at least attempt to stop the kid. "Calm down already! It's not going to hurt you!" Van yelled when Michael's hand accidentally hit his face. He managed to keep his hold as the kid continued his mantra.

Fiona couldn't help but giggle at the sight of it. She didn't know why he hated baths so much. "It's ok, you don't have to take a bath," Fiona said and everyone gave her rather curious stares. The whole point was to get him to take a bath.

Michael suddenly stopped struggling and stared at Fiona quizzically. He was glad when he was placed on the floor but in a position that he could easily be grabbed should he make a break for it. "Really?" he asked watching her.

"Of course, your mom was just fooling around. Would you like to go swimming though?" Fiona said with a smile as she remembered her time back at their place. Michael hated the word bath but he loved to swim. Fiona always found it odd about the kid. "Maybe your mom will even be willing to put bubbles in it for you," she said with a smile as she kneeled to his height.

Michael actually seemed excited about the thought of it. He looked towards his mom asking if it was ok and was excited when she nodded her head and he ran over to her and the two of them went towards the bathroom.

"That was impressive Fiona. We'll have to keep that in mind for the future," Karin said with a smile as she looked at Fiona. She knew that she would be a great mother someday. She just hoped that it was soon. Fiona deserved to have kids more than anyone else she knew.

Fiona turned towards her and smiled. "Just got to know what he likes. It's not exactly lying. I just decided to leave out the whole cleaning part," she said with a smile. "Why is it that he's afraid of the bath anyways?" Fiona asked as she stared at the other three in the room.

Dan groaned as his head fell back. "Tiffany pulled a prank on him a year ago. He's been convinced that the bath was alive and was trying to eat him ever since. It was harmless fun but he was a pain about it since then," he said with a small chuckle.

Fiona sighed as her head dropped at the name of the woman. She just couldn't seem to escape that woman's effect even when she was gone and hopefully never coming back. "I see," she muttered with a groan.

"We should really thank you. Maybe now bath time won't be such a pain. Good thing that you're really good with children. You'd make a great mother someday," Karin said and she saw Fiona smile and blush a bit in embarrassment.

Van smiled at the comment and walked over to Fiona and gave her shoulder a squeeze. "I'm sure she will," he said with a suggestive tone but low enough so that no one but Fiona would be able to hear him. "Hey Fiona, I need to go pick up a few things for dinner, want to come or stay here?"

Fiona looked at him, smiled, and then gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "I think I'll stay here. Just hurry back," she said and Van nodded before leaving the house. She sighed and took a seat next to her soon to be mother-in-law. "What other damage has Tiffany caused?" she asked curiously since she never got into it much before.

"Not much. We didn't trust her enough to get her close enough so that she could do much damage. Michael was just an accident. I'd say that the most damage would be that to Van. I think he was just about giving up hope of ever fulfilling his dream of starting a family," Karin said giving a weak smile to Fiona.

"So she played on that to get Van to come back. I can't believe that she could stoop so low," Dan said from the other end of the room. "He doesn't say it but he was both happy and upset to learn that she lied to him. Happy because he could go back to you and that she didn't have his child, but also sad at still not having one himself," Dan explained and he saw Fiona thinking it over.

Karin smiled and patted Fiona on the shoulder. "I feel that you'll be the one that'll be able to give him his dream back," she said standing up and walking towards her room to get ready. The company would be there shortly and she needed to get changed. She'd been out all day and needed a shower. She was just glad that there was more than one bathroom.

The smell of food was going through the house and Van just needed to pick up a few last minute ingredients for his mother since she was the one that was cooking it. She was probably one of the best cooks out of everyone that the family knew. So anything made by her was sure to be good.

It was nearly an hour later when Van finally showed up again and about fifteen minutes after that before Irvine and Moonbay. They always came together when Van's family came down so no one ever really questioned the main reason for why Van invited them all this time.

Fiona and Van were in their room just getting cleaned up a bit. Fiona just threw on a pink sundress she'd had for a while. As it slid down her beautiful body she looked at the necklace and then at the ring that was still attached to it.

Fiona smiled fingering the ring again before her hands slid around her neck and unfastened the necklace while taking the ring off of it. She the put the necklace back on and then slid the ring onto her left ring finger.

Fiona brought her hand up to the light and looked at the ring. It was beautiful and probably very expensive. It held emotional value to her though, not material value. It was her bond to Van for the moment.

Van smiled and walked up to Fiona and wrapped her around the waist. He then caught the hand with the ring and brought it up to his mouth and placed a light kiss on it. "How does it feel to know that you'll soon be married to me till death do us part?" he asked with a smile kissing the base of her neck.

Fiona smiled brightly while closing her eyes and leaning into Van's embrace. "It feels great. Knowing I get to spend the rest of my life with you makes me feel happier than I've ever been," she said bringing her hand up and caressed his cheek.

"I'm glad that you're happy," Van said taking her hand and started to pull her towards the door. "Better get going, everyone's waiting for us," he said giving her hand a squeeze as he pulled her over to the dining room.

Karin looked up and her son and Fiona came walking to the table where everyone was already sitting and waiting. She thought she saw something glimmer for a second but she couldn't see what and just smiled at the two. "It's about time that the two of you joined us," she said with a small chuckle.

"Well sorry if we kept you waiting," Van said pulling out Fiona's chair for her and only sat in his own when he was sure that Fiona was comfortable. "Would you rather us come filthy?" he asked with a laugh.

"Why were you filthy?" she asked with a suggestive tone. Everyone at the table burst out in laughter except for Van and Fiona but they ended up joining in with the rest of them. It was always nice to laugh with everyone.

"Not like that mom," Van said feeling a little embarrassed but laughing nonetheless. "You'd smell too if you've been out all day," Van said with a smirk and wrapped his arm around Fiona's waist.

Van took a glance down at Fiona and saw the eager look on his face. He couldn't blame her. He was just as eager as she was. He then stood up and everyone turned their attention to him. "Before we get started eating my mom's wonderful food," he said and saw the proud look on his mother's face. "I have an announcement to make."

Fiona felt herself lightly being pulled to her feet. She knew what Van was trying to tell her. He wanted her to be the one that told everyone. She always found it nice that the two of them didn't need words to know what the other was thinking.

Karin watched the two lovebirds with great interest. She was wondering what was going on. She suddenly seemed to pick up what was going on and her eyes widened in anticipation as she watched eagerly hoping that her guess was real.

Fiona felt a little nervous under the glances of all her friends and soon to be family. "Van and I…" she said before raising her left hand. "Are getting married," she said with a bright smile plastered onto her face.

It seemed a little quiet for a second before everyone went wild with congratulations. "Way to go Van, congratulation's Fiona," Irvine yelled patting Van on the back really hard.

"I can't believe it. The two of you are finally getting married," Moonbay said with tears coming down her eyes. Van and Fiona guessed that the tears were more of the hormones' doing than her own because Moonbay was one that you'd hardly see cry even on the worst possible day for her.

Karin basically shoved everyone out of the way. "Congratulations. When's the wedding going to be, when's the first child, what will you name it," she said going to her grandma mode asking more question about their future kids rather than the upcoming wedding.

Dan sighed and lightly pulled his wife away. She was probably more excited about the thought of this wedding than Van and Fiona were together. "Now, now dear. Let's not get too ahead of ourselves here," he said placing her back in her seat as everyone else took their seats again. "So when did this happen?" he asked curiously thinking of his talk with Van earlier that day. He hoped Van hadn't done it for just that reason.

Maria sat down and looked at Van and Fiona curiously as well. "I'd like to know that as well. I don't remember seeing you wear that ring when we went out earlier Fiona," she said watching them waiting for a response.

Fiona smiled brightly at the memory of it. "It was yesterday morning. We went out on the beach and watched the sunrise. Then he proposed to me. It was… perfect," she said dreamily. It had to be the best way to be proposed to in her opinion. Van probably had that in mind since he knew her so well.

Moonbay then glared at Van and Fiona. "You two have been engaged since yesterday morning! Why didn't you tell me and Irvine about it last night?" she asked with a tone of fake insult to her voice.

Fiona just smiled and Moonbay calmed down a bit. "I wanted to tell you last night but Van told me not to. I didn't learn why until today since he didn't bother to tell me his family was coming today," she said playfully glaring at Van while he just grinned.

"I wanted everyone to be here before we told anyone about it," Van explained but he was pretty sure that everyone probably figured that out. Moonbay probably did as well but was just fooling around when she asked that question.

Irvine grinned at the two of them. He knew that this was going to come from day one of them meeting again. It was just an event that was delayed for a good seven years. "About time the two of you finally got down to it," he said and everyone chuckled.

Van never let go of Fiona's hand and the two of them looked at each other and smiled brightly. They loved times like these when they could just celebrate anything with their friends and families.

* * *

It was several hours later before everyone started leaving whether it was home or to their rooms. It was much quieter then compared to the earlier with all the talk of the upcoming trial and wedding. It was very relaxing then but they were glad to be able to get away and have some peace and quiet.

Van remembered something and grabbed the package that his father gave him. "Got another tape. My dad gave it to me saying that you could only have it when we got engaged. Want to watch it?" Van asked as Fiona carefully took the package from him and took the tape at it.

Fiona stared at the tape for a few moments. The stuff on the last tape were quite a surprise and she wondered what she would find on this tape. "Yeah," she said walking over and placing the tape in and then laid down on the bed with Van as the tape turned on.

The tape started up and a picture appeared on the screen that appeared to be in the same place as the first one. The only difference there appeared to be was that it was much more lively with a lot of people enjoying themselves all over the place instead of sleeping like they were the first time.

"And here we all are having a blast," Dan's voice came over the tape again. The tape then turned to a much younger looking Karin. Her stomach was huge as well. "There's my lovely wife and future son. Look at her, fat as a cow yet as lovely as the day we first met," he said with a chuckle.

"I'm not sure whether I should consider that a compliment or an insult Dan," she said with a fake pout. "Just another month and I see the birth of my first son. We'll have twice the joy now with both him and Maria. I'll now have two kids to spoil rotten," she said with a broad smile.

Dan chuckle as he moved the camera around the room showing a few familiar faces and several that they didn't recognize before it suddenly came to a stop on a not so appealing target that was standing against a corner looking rather bored. "What's the matter Claire, not having any fun?" Dan joked as she scowled at him.

Claire glared at Dan and turned away. "What fun is there to have when I know there'll be another worthless Flyheight coming into this world? Now get that camera out of my face!" she yelled before walking away angrily.

"That's someone who'll never change. What was he thinking marrying her? The two of them are complete opposites," Dan said before turning it to face his four year old daughter dancing around the room singing a made up song. "I'm getting a little brother. So soft and cuddly. Yay for me because I get a little brother!" she said happily dancing out of view.

Dan could be heard chuckling. "She's definitely excited about the idea of having a little brother," Dan said turning the camera towards a dance floor. He then broke out in full blown laughter at the sight that greeted him.

There were several people on the dance floor but they were all trying to not get trampled by two people that were dancing very wildly. They were going all over the place and it made anyone still on going running off as quickly as possible. "Those two sure know how to be the life of a party."

The song that was ending and the two people that were dancing dispersed and went in two different directions. One was a woman and she walked in the direction of Van's mom and the other appeared to be Fiona's father and he walked towards Dan. "Two words, dance class. You're going to injure someone with those moves," Dan said in an amused voice.

George Lynette just beamed into the camera. "Where's the fun in that," he asked chuckling as he took a seat on the couch. "Just for the camera, congratulations about the baby. Wish I could have one but Claire is a stubborn goat," he said with a tone that said he didn't worry about the consequences if Claire heard.

"Yeah, you should just get rid of her. She's no fun. There's plenty of ladies here who I'm sure would just love to have the chance to marry you," Dan said and it was pretty clear that he was grinning even though you couldn't see his face.

George just shrugged his shoulders and the smiled as two ladies approached the two of them. "You ladies are looking lovely as always," he said to Van's mom and a woman they've never seen before.

"Why thank you," Karin said with a smile as she turned towards the camera. "He knows how to give a good compliment. I haven't forgiven you for that fat as a cow comment earlier," she said glaring into the camera but she burst out in laughter a few moments later.

The camera then turned towards the other woman who remained quiet about everything up till then while having a good laugh with them as well. "You were sure clearing the dance floor earlier," Dan said with a tone of amusement to his voice.

"Well it's no fun to just dance calmly," the woman said and Van and Fiona both just gave a slight nod of their head. Dancing wildly was fun for them at least even Fiona with her sweet disposition had a bit of a crazy side to her when she felt like releasing it. They were the life of their senior prom.

"They know all about that though," George said and all but Dan and Karin burst out in laughter. The two of them actually turned a little red and that just seemed to spur on the laughter much to the expense of Dan and Karin.

Van groaned wondering why his father gave it to them. "I really could go without hearing about their sex life," Van groaned and Fiona just giggled and gave him a kiss on the cheek which made him feel a little better. He knew he should be thankful though because it was the whole reason he existed.

Dan seemed to finally regain his speech. "Oh you're just upset because you don't have a kid of your own yet," Dan said and the other two stopped their laughter. George even appeared to sadden at the mere thought of it. "Sorry," Dan muttered seeing his friend's distressed face.

The two women left discussing something and the two men were alone again. "It's ok. I'd always hoped that she'd change her mind but now she's even thinking of making it so that she could never have kids just to end the topic," George said with a sigh as he leaned back in his seat.

"You don't deserve that George," Dan said with a sigh. "You really need to talk to her about that and tell her what you really want," Dan said placing down the camera. He probably didn't realize that it was still on.

"Dan! George!" Karin yelled running up to the two friends looking a little frantic. "We've got a bit of a problem!" she said urgently and the two stood up and then the camera went blank.

The tape went blank again just like the previous tape before it turned into the face of her father. "Hey again," he said with that fatherly smile the two saw the previous night. "So you're going to be getting married? I guess that's the only reason you have this then. I wish I could know who he is. I hope he'll be good enough for you my little girl," he said with a soft look in his eyes.

"I wish I didn't have to make these and could tell you the truth in person. But if something was to happen to me then I wouldn't want the truth to die with me as well," he said with a sigh as he leaned back in the chair he was sitting in.

"You're getting married to the man you love. I screwed up and married someone I didn't love in the first place. Then you suddenly came and everything became perfect in my life. Claire was mad and left me which I have to say was the best thing to ever happen in my life," he said his smiled broadening quite a bit.

"I've… kept a huge secret from you for such a long time Fiona. I wish I can tell you now but it's very painful for me just to remember. Eventually I will get to telling you the truth," he said before the tape just suddenly shut off like the one from the night before.

Van looked towards Fiona when she had the same expression on her face as the night before. It seemed… sadder though. 'What has he kept from you Fiona? What is that one thing I don't know about you?'


	24. the trial begins

Fiona's hands twisted in her lap and she did what she could to smooth out the non-existent wrinkles in her skirt. To anyone in the area, it was pretty obvious that she was nervous and there probably wasn't one person who couldn't feel bad for her because of what she was about to do.

Van looked towards the woman in the seat next to him and gave her a weak smile. He reached over and took her hand in his. "I guess no amount of preparation can possibly get rid of your fears," he said and she just nodded her head. "It'll be alright Fiona, we'll get through this," he said giving her hand a tight squeeze.

"I know," Fiona said trying to give him the best smile she could but it was laced with nervousness. She wished she'd never have to see Ethan ever again but now she had to be in really close proximity to him during the trial.

The two months seemed to pass far too quickly for Fiona. It was wonderful while it lasted. Van's family was there for a short time before they headed home. Van kept her time full after that. His family then came back a few days before the trial so that they could be there for her time of need.

The day of the trial finally came and all of Fiona's previous fears came rushing back to her. If Van wasn't there for her, she felt like she'd probably end up going crazy. "Thanks for being here Van," she mumbled to him.

Van gave her shoulder a light squeeze. "Of course. Did you think I was just going to leave you when you needed me the most?" he asked with a playful grin on his face. He was happy when it earned him a small chuckle from Fiona. A frown never looked as good on Fiona as a smile did.

A few minutes later Karl came walking into the room holding a folder with Thomas following right behind him. A bright smile crossed his face when he saw Fiona but then frowned when he saw Van. He wasn't happy when he learned of their engagement. 'Must've thought he actually had a chance with her before that,' Van thought with a chuckle.

Van himself wasn't happy when he learned that Thomas would be working as Karl's assistant in the case. It meant that Van would have to spend a bit of time around Thomas than he really felt like doing.

It was silent in the room as Karl walked across the office and took a seat behind the desk that Van and Fiona were sitting at. He let off a sigh while closing the folder. "It's time Fiona. Are you ready?" he asked and saw her slowly nod her head.

"It's going to be ok Miss. Fiona. We don't know the meaning of the word fail," Thomas bragged as the four of them stood up and started to walk to the door. "Just know that I'll always be here is you need me," he said trying to make himself look good for Fiona.

A meaningless laugh was all that came out of Fiona's mouth. She was now more nervous than ever. She felt Van grab her hand again and gave it a small squeeze. It was the most reassuring thing that she could get right then.

The hope that the trial would be over quickly was Fiona's biggest hope. Then she would be able to start planning out their wedding. They thought it would be best to wait until after the trial was over before they started to make any sort of plans. 'The sooner this is over, the sooner we can get married,' she thought as a smile finally crossed her face. She just knew that one thought would be enough to get her through the trial in one piece.

They walked in a small group into the court room and took a seat. Fiona saw that Ethan wasn't there and was glad because she didn't want to see him anymore than she would have to during the trial.

A few minutes after that, another man walked into the courtroom. He was very businesslike and had a stern look on his face. His silvery hair was well groomed and her suit was spotless. He took the seat that was opposite of her and never even looked at her.

Shortly after that Ethan was escorted into the room by two guards. His face was also emotionless and a sneer appeared on it when he finally looked at Fiona. He took his seat next to his lawyer. He kept giving slight glances in Fiona's direction with that icy look in his eyes.

Fiona shuddered at the mere proximity between them. She just felt like bolting out of the courtroom right then but she knew that he would only do it again if she didn't go through with the trial. 'Please let this end,' she mentally begged as her hands twisted in her lap.

Stealing a quick look behind her, she saw Van sitting as close to her as possible. She gave him a small smile which he returned. 'Please let this end so that I can finally get married to Van,' she pleaded again as the room filled up with many people.

"All rise for the honorable judge Evans," a man said as a middle-aged woman came walking into the room. She was medium height and had tired looking eyes but ones that obviously had a lot of experience to them. Those were stern though and looked between the defendant and the plaintiff with no difference.

The aging woman took a seat and put on a professional face. "The trial on the violent attacks is about to begin, how does the defendant plead?" The judge asked looking at some papers before she looked towards the defendants stand.

Ethan's lawyer looked at the judge seriously. "Not guilty your honor," he said with no emotion to his voice. The judge nodded her head and everyone had a seat shortly afterwards.

"The plaintiff shall make your opening statement," the judge said in a voice that seemed almost rehearsed. Fiona could only guess it was because she'd gone through so many cases like this before that it was all engraved into her mind.

Karl stood up and walked around the table and stood in front of the jury. "My client, Miss. Lynette, was only looking for one thing when she first started to date Mr. James. Something that I'm sure every woman looks for, someone to love and spend her life with," Karl said before taking a short breath. "How exactly was she supposed to know how that relationship was supposed to turn out?"

Fiona cringed at what Karl was saying. She knew the truth; she only used him to escape the pain that she was feeling about knowing that Van was married and that she would never be able to have the chance to spend the rest of her life with the man that she truly loved.

"How was she supposed to know that he would suddenly get violent with her? She has had to suffer greatly because of his attempts at her and I wish that each of you would be able to find it in your best interests to find this man guilty and give this woman the peace of mind to know that she won't have to fear him suddenly showing up again," Karl said before he returned to his seat.

Fiona couldn't help but hope that his word would come true. She really did want that peace of mind. To know that she could live happily with Van and start a family without having to worry that he would suddenly attack her again.

Karl took his seat and leaned over to Fiona and whispered something in her ear. "Tom Anderson is going to say some rather cruel things but just try and keep calm during it," he said even though he warned her about it before. He just wanted it to remain fresh in her mind. He was glad when he saw Fiona nod her head.

Ethan's lawyer stood up and quietly walked towards the jury with a look of intense concentration. "My client is just a normal man like you and me. He prefers things simple. He thought he could have that for a while with Miss. Lynette. He merely found he was wrong when he found out the truth of her. An emotionally unstable woman," he said and heard a growl come from behind the plaintiff. He just ignored it.

'How dare he, Fiona isn't emotionally unstable!' Van thought angrily doing what he could not to jump up and strangle the man for his words. He held himself back though so as to not make a scene that might make Fiona look bad.

"All he has tried to do was talk to her and she makes a scene. How is that so wrong to want to try and make things work with the one you love. I hope you can all find it in your hearts to put down these ridiculous claims and find my client innocent, just as he should be," he said before walking back to the defendant's table.

"That's it for opening statements, this trial shall resume at one o'clock tomorrow afternoon. You are all dismissed," the judge said before slamming the gavel down releasing everyone for the time being.

"How dare he say such a thing!" Van growled out as everyone stood up and gathered together. He calmed down a bit when he felt Fiona walk over and wrap her arms around him. "This guy doesn't give a crap about other's feelings. I really hope you're up to this Fiona," he said kissing her cheek.

Fiona's face seemed sad and she just held onto him tighter. "Please Van. I know this is going to be hard. Just as long as you stay close to me, I know that I'll be able to make it through this trial in one piece," she said kissing him on the lips really quickly. "Just stay near me," she repeated sadly.

"Of course Fiona. If that was just the opening statement than I wonder how ruthless he's going to be during the real thing," Van muttered as he held her shaken form. It wasn't as bad as it could've been but Fiona was nervous enough as it was to have to go and face Ethan.

"It's one of the best approaches that he can make in such a trial. The wounds on Fiona could not have appeared by themselves. He's trying to make it look like Fiona did it to herself," Karl said with a grimace.

Van was basically turning red with anger. "I swear; you better humiliate this guy by putting a spot on his perfect record. I'm not going to let him get away with saying such things to Fiona," he said and smiled when he saw the small smile that Fiona gave to him.

"Just keep calm and don't fall for his tricks and I'm sure that we'll have won't have too much trouble winning the case. Ethan must have paid him a lot of money because I'm sure that Tom knows he's not going to have the easiest time winning this case. Probably felt the money would be worth it though," Karl said and everyone nodded their heads.

"Let's all get back, we have a big day tomorrow so we need to get some rest," Dan said turning and walking out of the court house with his wife and family following shortly behind him. All were just happy that they could get out of there. They all wondered if the whole trial would be as tense as today.

* * *

"Please state your name for the court and your relationship with Miss. Lynette," Mr. Anderson said as he paced before the witness stand. He was looking very professional as usual and had yet to show any sort of emotion since he first stepped into the courtroom.

"My name is Moonbay Saix. My husband and I have been best friends with Fiona for several years," Moonbay said sitting calmly in the seat watching him pace with a calm look on her face. She continuously told herself that she wouldn't be intimidated by this man before her.

Tom Anderson nodded his head and stopped pacing and turned towards Moonbay. "Then you could say that you know her very well, am I correct?" he asked and Moonbay just nodded her head. "Then please tell me, what was Miss. Lynette like when you first met her?" he asked with his face still expressionless.

"Well, she had just lost her father and although she put a smile on her face, everyone around her knew that she was upset. I mean, who wouldn't be? It's a painful thing to go through," Moonbay said watching him carefully while also watching her words. She didn't want to say anything that might get Fiona in trouble.

He never lost that placid expression on his face as he nodded his head and looked directly into Moonbay's eyes with a piercing expression that made her flinch a little. "So are you saying that she had a tendency to hold in her emotions?" he asked her sternly keeping that piercing expression on his face.

Moonbay flinched a little but kept a confident look on his face. She knew what he was trying to do and she wasn't going to let him have the opportunity. "No, she just never talked about her past. She was a pretty lively person when she wanted to be. Especially when she was around Van," Moonbay said and she could've sworn she saw a gleam in his eyes.

"I suppose you are talking about Van Flyheight?" he asked and his eyes seemed to hold a bit of pleasure to them as she nodded her head. "Tell, me did anything happen between them in that time?" he asked knowing that something must've happened if he wasn't married to her by now.

"They eventually started dating and remained that way for two years," Moonbay said and she saw that gleam again. She didn't know what he was getting at but it was really starting to irritate her.

Fiona was confused about what the man was trying to find with Moonbay. She didn't do anything really bad in the past that could hurt her here. "Why is he trying so hard when there's nothing that could really hurt our case?" she asked Karl in confusion.

"I am guessing that he's just hoping she'd slip up and say something the wrong way. He's good at doing that with people. Moonbay tends to be a bit loudmouthed and probably the best one to try this on. That can be my only guess," Karl whispered to Fiona before turning his eyes back to the other lawyer.

"And then after two years they broke up when they left high school? Is that right?" he asked steeling his eyes again. He smirked when he saw her nod. "Tell me, how many guys did she date before him?" he asked turning his back to her and walking over to the table and he looked through a small folder.

"I don't know, maybe two or three," Moonbay said as more of a question. She didn't keep track of it but she knew that there weren't many. Fiona's mother set her up several times but Fiona found a way out of a few of them when she was able to.

Mr. Anderson just nodded his head and walked back to the witness stand. "Tell me, would you say that these men were well off financially?" he asked with the gleam returning to his eyes.

Moonbay stared at him for a second as she thought it over. "Yeah I guess so but…" she said but was interrupted before she could finish her sentences. It was really frustrating and she was about to yell at him but he interrupted her again.

"So you're telling me that except for one, she went out with only rich guys?" he asked with a smirk getting exactly what he was going for. "And even then it didn't even last and when he does she suddenly comes back?" he asked but didn't even wait for a reply. "That's all," he said walking back to his table with a smirk on his face.

'What the hell! Why ask all those damn questions if he's not even going to hear the answer!' she thought with a growl directed towards him. "Now wait just one moment!" she yelled angrily standing up on the witness stand as he took a seat and seemed to just ignore her for the time being.

"Calm down Moonbay," Karl said as he stood up and walked over to the witness stand. He knew what was done could be a bit damaging but he would make sure to remedy it. "Now the way it sounds, she had an interest in rich men. Is that right?" he asked calmly and gave Moonbay several moments to calm down.

"Of course not. She's been infatuated with Van from the first day she came. All of those other guys were blind dates set up by her mother. Fiona had no other choice but to go wit them," Moonbay said glad that she could actually get the chance to speak the truth. "Fiona doesn't care about Money," she finished with a small smile towards Fiona.

"In a statement you made to a the police, it states that on your way up you ran into the suspect who appeared to be in a hurry to get out of the hotel. Is that correct?" he asked and Moonbay nodded her head. "Can you truly confirm that it was that man over there?" he asked pointing towards Ethan.

Moonbay looked over towards Ethan and glared at him and was angry when he just smirked at her. "Yes, I'm almost definite that it was him," she said wishing he could just die for what he did to Fiona. She wished even more that she could be the one to kill him but she would rather see him suffer in prison.

"Thank you," Karl said with a smile because he helped remedy the situation a bit. "That's all your honor," he said walking over to the plaintiff's table and he whispered a few things to Fiona.

"Redirect, your honor," Mr. Anderson said and the judge nodded her head as he stood up and approached the bench. "Mrs. Saix, how can you be absolutely positive that it was my client that you ran into? In your statement it states that you only ran into him briefly. So how can you be positive it was him?"

"It was difficult but I do remember what he looked like," Moonbay said turning her glare on Ethan's lawyer. "The hair style was exactly the same and he was the same height. He was wearing glasses though and that made him stand out even more considering the place was dark."

"So you're saying that just because the two of them had the same hairstyle, it meant that they had to be the same person?" he asked her and smirked at the unsure look that passed across Moonbay's face. "That'll be all your honor," he said walking back to his seat.

The judge looked at Karl and he just shook his head. "Very well. You may step down Mrs. Saix," the judge said with a nod to Moonbay who was all to glad to get off of the stand. "This court shall release for lunch and reconvene at one," she said slamming the gavel down.

Fiona and the rest of them all left the court room and headed out to get something to eat in the cafeteria. The place was crowded so they all just grabbed something to eat and headed outside to get some fresh air before they had to go back to the courtroom and face Ethan and his merciless attorney.

"That was really intimidating," Moonbay said with a sigh as she fell into one of the bench chairs that littered a small park barely a block away from the court house. There was hardly anyone there right then so it was really quiet.

"I'd say you actually had it easy Moonbay. I've seen him crack even the toughest of people," Karl said taking a sip of tea that he bought in a small cup. "It will only really get much harder from here. It's only the first day anyways," Karl said with a sigh as he rubbed his forehead.

Fiona sat quietly off to the side before Van came over and sat next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Who is going to testify next?" she asked quietly wondering if it would be another one of her friends.

Karl thought for a second before he remembered what he had been told a few days prior. "Dr. Miller. Since she was the main doctor that took care of you in the hospital, her testimony is crucial to both sides of this case. I think this is where things will start to get rough," he said and everyone nodded their heads.

Van looked towards Fiona. She had a look of seriousness on her face. "Are you ok Fiona?" he asked her and she just frowned a bit. "What's on your mind? Does it have anything to do with what his attorney said?" he asked her and she frowned even deeper if it was possible.

"Van, you know I would never do that right?" she asked and he looked a bit confused but just nodded his head. "He made it seem like I was only after money. I'm not like that though. All I want is for you to always be by my side and love me," she said with a sad sigh.

Van just smirked and wrapped his arm around Fiona's shoulder. "I'm already well aware of that. Like I would ever believe what they say about you. I know the true you and I will always love you and be there for you," he said kissing her forehead. "we'll make it through this together."

* * *

"Please state your name and profession for the court please," Karl said seriously as he stared at a woman before him. She appeared only be in her early forties and was dressed properly for that of a doctor. She had a look of intelligence on her which was obviously from having such a great deal of experience with life and death.

The doctor took a deep breath before she spoke clearly for everyone to hear. "My name is Sarah Miller. I am a doctor at Zi Medical Hospital where the victim had been staying in her time of recovery," she said in a crystal clear voice.

Karl nodded his head and looked as if he was doing some serious thinking for a split second. "Please tell the court the extent of Miss. Lynette's injuries when she was first brought to the hospital," Karl said giving Fiona a look a pity quickly. He knew it must be hard to have to relive such painful injuries, especially when he saw Fiona rubbing areas where she once had the injuries.

"Of course," she said not letting either a smile or a frown cross her face. "The extent of her injuries were very extensive. She had at least four or five broken ribs as well as a small crack in her skull. There were several cuts all over her body looking like they had been done with a very sharp object. Then there were several smaller cuts as well as bruises scattered all over her battered body. The blood loss was extensive as well," she stated calmly.

Karl nodded his head and almost visibly winced at just the mere mention of it. It was almost as if he was feeling it happen to himself instead of listening to what happened to another. "Can you please state for the court what your conclusion of the situation was?" he asked her politely.

"Of course," she said as she straightened herself up a bit. "With the extent of the injuries, it is almost pretty clear that someone else played a part in their making. It is also in my personal opinion that she might not have been conscious for a lot of them," she said sounding as professional as she looked.

Karl looked really interested to hear such a thing. "You believe that she wasn't even conscious for most of them?" he asked again and she nodded her head. "Would you care to explain to us how you came up with your conclusion?" he asked her staring at her intently.

Mr. Anderson jumped to his feet at this and slammed his hands down upon the top of the table causing it to shake. "Objection your honor. This is purely circumstantial evidence. It is a mere guess that it could've happened," he said looking at Karl with distaste.

Karl turned and glared at the man. "Yes but it would be wise to regard how severe the assault actually was in order for a proper sentence to be made should he be found guilty!" Karl reasoned as he turned to look at the judge who was carefully taking in both sides of the argument.

The judge had a look that said that she was really thinking it over. She finally came to a decision and nodded her head in Mr. Anderson's direction. "Sustained. The last part of Dr. Miller's statement shall be taken from the record," she said and then looked towards Karl who nodded his head.

Karl frowned and thought everything over for a second. He had all the information that he really could get for the moment and could always think of more depending on Mr. Anderson's questions. "That will be all," he said as he walked over and took his seat next to Fiona.

Ethan took a quick glance over at Fiona and glared at her as his lawyer stood up. He grabbed Mr. Anderson's wrist and whispered something to him that the older man could only nod his head to.

Mr. Anderson pulled his arm free and walked towards the doctor slowly as if he was sizing her up. He then came to a stop in front of the witness stand and looked her square in the eyes. "Dr. Miller, how long have you been a doctor?" he asked looking at the woman who appeared to be getting along in years.

"I have been a doctor for Zi Medical Hospital going on fifteen years. In that time I have seen many cases such as this. I have often seen women with such intensive injuries brought in under my care," she explained and Mr. Anderson nodded his head not moving from his stance.

"Dr. Miller, would you say that it is possible that she could've inflicted these injuries upon herself?" he asked her with that expressionless look on his face that he had with Moonbay.

The doctor looked at him quizzically for a second before she answered. "I guess to some extent but…" she said but was silenced when he held up his hand. She couldn't help but glare at him for that.

Mr. Anderson looked as if he was really enjoying toying with the witness a bit too much. "In all of those cases you have treated, has there ever been a woman who has actually inflicted those same injuries upon themselves?" he asked her as he finally moved and started to pace before the witness stand.

The doctor had to think it over for a second before she nodded her head silently. "Yes, there have been one or two but they have only been a small percentage of the patients I have treated under similar circumstances," the doctor said even though she felt certain that this wasn't one of the cases.

"But you said that there actually have been. No matter what the percentage, it is still possible, correct?" he asked and she nodded her head. Mr. Anderson smirked at this and turned to walk away. He didn't need to ask too many questions to get what he wanted. "That's all we needed to hear," he said taking his seat.

Karl remained calm in his seat. He wasn't too worried about this setback because he knew that there was too much evidence stacked up against Ethan for him to get out easily. He knew he had to work much harder though.

The judge looked towards Karl and he just shook his head at her unasked question. "You may step down Dr. Miller," the judge said looking at the other woman with a smile. "Court is adjourned for today. It will resume at ten in the morning on Thursday," the woman said slamming the gavel down before standing and leaving and everyone else followed.

Karl stood up from his chair and started to pack his stuff away when he was approached by Ethan's attorney. "What do you want Tom?" Karl asked not even looking at the man standing next to him.

Mr. Anderson just smirked with a look of confidence on his face. "Do you actually think you can win this Karl?" he asked and Karl just nodded his head. "Fine then, you can just keep playing your little game. It's not like it will matter in the end," he said before walking away with his client being escorted out behind him.

Fiona couldn't help but shiver as she saw Ethan give her a look of hate as well as lust. She just decided to push it away and stood up as well. "W-would you say that we did good today?" she couldn't help but stutter thinking maybe something might have gone wrong.

Karl thought it over for a second before he smiled at Fiona. "To some extent. You don't have to worry Fiona. I promise that we will win this. Tom is just borrowing time," Karl said picking up his briefcase.

Fiona walked to the rest of her friends and soon to be family. She smiled when she felt Van wrap his arm around her shoulder. She leaned her head against his and sighed in relief, glad that it was over for that day. She didn't really do anything but it was still very nerve-wracking.

"So what do you want to do Fiona? We have two days until the trial resumes," Van said as he looked down at the beauty in his arms. He saw how troubled she looked though and it had an affect on him. He wanted to do something to cheer her up a little. 'How do I do that?' he asked himself.

"I don't care," Fiona mumbled into his shoulder as they walked out of the courthouse. "I'd rather we just went home right now and relaxed a little. Going through all that was really tiring," she said with a yawn but a smile on her face now that she was back in Van's arms.

"Oh come on Fiona!" Moonbay whined as she approached her. "You just made it through the first day of the trial. I think you need to get out and do something with all of us," she said with a grin as she wrapped her arm around Fiona's shoulders over Van's arm.

Van couldn't help but look at Moonbay with a flat face. "You would just use any excuse to go out and party or something like that," he muttered and laughed at the innocent look that crossed Moonbay's face the next second.

"What do you expect when you have something like this?" Moonbay asked indicating her really large stomach. "Irvine here isn't letting me do anything so I need some sort of amusement," she said swatting Irvine's shoulder playfully. "Sometimes I just wish that I can get this over with," she said rubbing her round stomach.

"Well you still have another two months Moonbay," Irvine said with a smirk since it was his child. She been about three months pregnant when she told him and that happened to be almost four months ago. Time sure seemed to fly for them.

"I know," Moonbay mumbled as her head dropped in annoyance. "I swear, after this I'm not having any more kids," she said halfheartedly although she had to admit to herself that the idea of being a mother was becoming a little more pleasing each day that passed.

Fiona couldn't help the chuckle that erupted from her throat. "Thanks for the offer but I just want to get back and rest a little. This is all too stressful," she said giving them an apologetic smile.

"Party-pooper!" Moonbay said in fake anger. "You need to have some more fun Fiona," she said but Fiona just shook her head no. Moonbay just knew that unless Fiona did something that she'd be stuck inside for the next two days. She wanted to be free a little longer even if it was at Fiona's expense. She'd make sure to do something for Fiona as payback later.

Maria couldn't help but giggle at Moonbay's childish attitude. "Why don't we all just go out and get something to eat at least. I'm sure you can at least agree to that Fiona," Maria suggested and the growling of Fiona's stomach was all that she needed to hear. "I guess that settles that. You're welcome to join us Karl," Maria said turning towards him.

Karl was slightly surprised at the sudden request. He had work to do but he had to admit that he was kind of hungry. "I guess if it isn't too much trouble for you," he said putting a smile on his face.

"Not at all," Fiona spoke up with a smile appearing on her face. "I don't think any of us would mind if you came along. It's just for a quick bite to eat," she said and was glad when she saw him nod his head and follow after them.

The group consisted of Van, Fiona, Van's family, Irvine, Moonbay, Karl, and Thomas much to Van's great displeasure. It was a rather large group that walked into the restaurant several minutes later.

Karl took a seat across from Van and Fiona and looked at the two of them as they discussed something between the two of them with bright smiles on their faces. "So have the two of you decided on when you're going to have your wedding?" he asked them curiously.

Van looked at Karl and shrugged his shoulders. "We don't have a real date set yet. We were just going to take a short time off after the trial to relax a little and then we were going to go into the real details," he explained taking a sip of his water.

Fiona seemed to mimic Van's actions as she took a sip of her water at the same time. "You're welcome to come to the wedding if you'd like Karl. Call it my thanks for helping me," she said with a smile.

Karl couldn't help but give a nice smile towards Fiona. "That's very gracious of you Fiona. I have to make sure I have nothing planned first but I will think about it," he said as the food started to be served to them.

"Thank you," Dan said as his food was placed in front of him. He took a quick bite out of it before he turned his attention towards Karl again. "Do you know who they're going to question next?" he asked before taking another bite of his food.

Fiona didn't feel too confident when she saw the frown that cross Karl's face. She just knew that it wouldn't be anyone good to have him make a face like that, "I-Is something wrong?" she stuttered while her hands clutched the fabric of her skirt rather tightly.

Karl sighed and rubbed his forehead in annoyance at the mere thought of it. He just couldn't believe what he'd been told about what was happening. "It will probably be the biggest testimony he can get besides the one from Ethan. It's Claire Lynette. She's trying to help Ethan apparently," Karl said finding the thought of it to be frustrating.

"As her mother, people might think she knows Fiona better than anyone," Van said finding it to be probably the most troublesome thing he's ever heard. "Why would a parent want to do something like that to their own child?" he couldn't help but ask while looking at Fiona in pity.

Nobody at the table even tried to answer that question so it was rather quiet except for sounds Mike was making while he was eating. They all knew that Claire and Fiona didn't get along but most of them didn't expect it to go this far.

"Van or the officer that interrogated Mr. James might also have to testify on Thursday as well. Maybe if there's time, we can get the other's testimony in as well. It really depends on how things turn out. I'm hoping that the case will be able to end quickly," he said and everyone just nodded in agreement.

Somehow, it didn't really surprise Fiona that her own mother was siding with Ethan. The two of them were always close and Claire always thought of him as the perfect person for Fiona. That didn't mean that it didn't hurt her though. 'I did almost everything for her and this is what she does?' she couldn't help but ask herself sadly as her head dropped to look at her lap.

Fiona suddenly stood up and started to walk away. Van saw her and quickly grabbed her hand. "Are you ok Fiona?" he asked looking up into her eyes. She had those sad eyes that he hated seeing more than anything. He knew she was more troubled by this news than anyone else thought.

Fiona gave Van a weak smile and lightly caressed his cheek. "I'll be fine. I want to be alone for a little. I just need to get some fresh air and clear my mind," she said kissing him on the cheek before she turned and left the small restaurant. What she didn't know was that someone else followed her.

Fiona left the building and walked behind it to where they had a few benches for people to just come out and relax on. She took a seat on one of them and turned her head up to look at the cloudless sky.

'She's really going to try to help him?' she couldn't help but ask herself. 'She probably knows he did it and is still trying to help him. She made it clear that she didn't mind him hitting me if it would keep me in line. Why was I born with such a mother?' she asked herself again while wiping a few tears that started to fall from her eyes.

"Miss. Fiona, are you ok?" a voice asked from behind her which startled Fiona a bit and caused her to jump up from her seat and turn to see Thomas standing there. "Sorry about that, I didn't mean to startle you," he said rubbing the back of his head.

Fiona sighed before she took a seat on the bench once again. "No, it's ok. I did want to be alone though. Can you please leave?" she asked as politely as she could. She'd rather Van be the one to not listen and come out here with her.

Thomas didn't answer her but instead just took a seat across from her. "You don't deserve to have to go through this Fiona," he said grabbing a hold of her hands tightly even though she was trying to pull them away. "You've been through so much," he muttered kissing the back of her hand.

Fiona tried to pull her hand away but Thomas had it firmly in his grasp. "Thomas, can you please let go of my hand?" she said almost like she was begging. He was making her feel rather uncomfortable.

"Fiona… why don't you forget about Van and come with me?" he said and saw her eyes widen in shock. He took it the wrong way and thought that it was a pleasant sort of shock. "Van doesn't deserve you Fiona. Where was he all three of the times that man attacked you!" Thomas asked growing a bit angry at Van.

Fiona just wanted to smack him for saying such things. The idea of leaving Van for Thomas wasn't even something she would even consider doing. "Don't say that! Van couldn't do anything because he wasn't there!" she yelled growing angry.

Thomas just smiled at her. "Yes but I would always be there for you in those situations. Because he wasn't there, you got hurt badly. He doesn't deserve your love if he allowed such a thing to happen," he said with a smirk although eh didn't seem to notice the look of anger Fiona was giving him or the other presence behind him.

Thomas was suddenly pushed out of the way and had Fiona torn from his grasp. "What the hell!" he yelled looking up and seeing Van standing there with Fiona in his arms. "Damn it Flyheight! Why don't you stay out of my business!" he yelled as his hands clenched into fists at his side.

"Oh I don't know, maybe because you were trying to take my fiancée from me!" Van said angrily. He knew that right now Thomas was right near the top of his hit list with the only ones in front of him being Ethan and Fiona's mother. "Don't talk as if you know everything Thomas! It doesn't matter if you or me that was in my position. It probably would've happened anyways!" Van said holding Fiona around the waist. "Come on Fiona. Let's head home," he said and she nodded and the two of them started to walk away.

Thomas grew angry and tried to stop them. He grabbed a hold of Van's wrist and pulled it away from Fiona. "Now hold on a second. I don't think it is up to you to make Fiona's decisions for her!" Thomas said turning his head in Fiona's direction with a bright smile.

Fiona didn't even need time to think about what her answer would be. "No," was all she said as she took a tight hold of Van's arm and gave him a passionately kiss on the lips silently telling Thomas she that is now and will always belong to Van. It also sparked something deep within her but she did her best to push that feeling away for the time being.

Van smirked when she pulled away and he pulled his wrist out of Thomas's grasp. Unfortunately for Thomas this caused him to stumble around and he ended up falling face first into some mud caused by rain they had the previous day.

Fiona couldn't help but burst out in laughter. The same could be said for Van. "Come on Van. I just want to get home and get some rest," she said and he just silently nodded as he led her to the car.

Van didn't have to tell his parents because they were already aware. He'd told them when he went after Fiona. They knew she was stressed out and didn't want to keep her there against her will any longer.

The drive home was silent. Over the course of it, Van could see Fiona constantly looking in his direction with a look that he really loved seeing. He'd been seeing it a lot in the last two months as the two of them became very comfortable in their sexual relationship.

Fiona, who was once full of doubt over such a relationship like that between her and Van, was really getting into it. It was something that she knew she could only give to Van and was happy to know that she could please him and that he could please her just as much. It had just become so natural between them.

Van pulled into her house and the two of them got out of the car. They started to walk towards the door but barely made it before they were in a heated kiss. It was something that the two of them had been trying to control within them since that kiss at the restaurant. They just knew that they couldn't hold it in anymore.

The two of them got to the door and Van fumbled for his keys as she did his best to unlock the door without having to break the kiss with Fiona. It took a few tries but the door finally opened and the two of them fell inside before slamming the door shut.

* * *

Van and Fiona laid comfortably on the couch after they were finally through. Their nude bodies were pressed closely together as they laid in silence just trying to enjoy the peace that they had while it last.

Van laid her head on Van's chest and listened to his heartbeat. There was a bright smile on her face despite all that had happened earlier that day. Just being in Van's arms like that was all that she really needed. Their earlier activities brought a question to her mind that she'd been thinking about for a while though.

"Hey Van," she said softly and she felt him give her a light squeeze to let her know that he was listening. "How many do you want?" she asked looking up into his confused eyes. "I mean, when we are married, how many children do you want to have?" she asked with a smile.

Van just grinned as he squeezed Fiona tightly but not enough to hurt her. "Oh I don't know. How about three or four… hundred," he said with a playful grin that Fiona couldn't help but laugh at. "I really don't care how many we have as long as you're their mother and I'm their father," he said kissing the top of head as his free hand lightly brushed through her silky blonde hair.

Fiona smiled as one of her fingers drew imaginary circles on his chest. "That sounds fine with me. Two or three seems like a nice number to me," she said kissing his chest with feather light kisses. "I just hope that I can be a good wife to you," she said with a small frown.

"As far as I'm concerned, we already are married. The wedding is just a formality. I know that you'll be a great wife Fiona," he said before standing up and taking her in his arms bridal style. "let's head to our room and get some actual sleep on a nice comfortable bed," he said and she just nodded as he carried her tired for in the direction of their room.


	25. the stressful day

Van groaned as his eyes opened slightly. It was the day the trial was going to resume. He reached out for Fiona since his arms were empty and found the spot next to him to be empty. "Fiona?" he questioned as he looked around the room but found it empty.

A delicious smell assaulted his nose and Van smiled. He stood up and threw on some clothes before walking out of the room and towards the kitchen. It was there that he saw the love of his life standing there making them breakfast, and from what he could tell she was going all out.

"This is a pleasant surprise," Van said as he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed the back of her neck. He laughed when she jumped because she obviously hadn't heard him walk into the room.

Fiona smiled as she turned around in his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I just thought it would be nice to have a normal breakfast since we haven't had much of one for a while," she said with a smile as she gave him a kiss on the lips.

Van smiled and kissed her back. He knew the main reason was because she wanted to get her mind off of the trial for the moment. "Well it smells great and I know we're going to need it for later today," he said and Fiona nodded her head before turning around to get back to work.

Van heard the doorbell ring and he walked to the door and opened it up to find Irvine and Moonbay standing there. "Hey there. Didn't expect to see the two of you this earlier," he said as the two of them walked into he house.

"Yeah. Well we thought we'd spend some time with Fiona since this is going to be a very hard day for her," Moonbay said with a smile before she sniffed the air. "She's nervous, isn't she?" she questioned with a sympathetic look towards the kitchen. She knew that Fiona liked to do stuff like this for Van but it also smelt like she was doing more than usual today.

"Yeah, I guess that she wants to have something to do to keep her mind of the fact that her own mom is testifying against her," Van said as the three of them took a seat away from Fiona so that she wouldn't have to listen to the conversation.

"I guess that's understandable. Too bad murder is illegal or I would've killed her years ago," Irvine joked which caused the other two of them to join in. "Do either of you know what she has against Fiona to do such a thing? I don't think she ever acted like a mother normally would with Fiona."

"No idea. I've asked my dad about it since he knew her parents the best but he didn't seem to want to answer or it was always a vague answer. I know that my parents are keeping something from Fiona and I have a feeling that the problem between Fiona and her mom has something to do with it," Van explained thinking back to the argument he remembered his parents having when they first came down.

Irvine raised an eyebrow in question. He had to admit that this fact made him very curious as to what it was all about. "That's odd. I never thought that they would try and keep something a secret like that," he said and Van nodded his head.

"Do you think it has something to do with those tapes you mentioned? They might hold the answer you're looking for," Moonbay suggested but Van shook his head. "How so? Aren't the tapes supposed to be some secret her father was keep from her?" Moonbay asked in confusion.

"I've gone over the tapes what has to be a million times but I just can't figure out what it was that he was trying to tell her. All I know is that there was a huge argument between Fiona's father and her mother. My parents aren't telling me anything so I have no clue about what it is about," Van said growing frustrated at this never-ending mystery that was placed before him and Fiona.

The conversation was interrupted when Fiona came walking into the room. "Oh hello there. Do you want to stay for breakfast? I think I made too much," Fiona said and Irvine and Moonbay just nodded their heads.

They just decided to end the conversation there so as to not put anymore stress upon Fiona. It was obvious that there was a lot of it put upon her already. So the three of them just got up and went to get some food.

* * *

Fiona fidgeted in her seat as people started to file into the courtroom. Many were casting her looks and it was really making her feel uneasy. All the peace she found early that day but busying herself was lost as soon as they all got into the car to drive to the courthouse. 

"I don't know if I can go through with listening to this," Fiona said as she really started to panic. All the stress she was feeling was really starting to get to her and she didn't know if she could take much more.

"It's going to be ok Fiona," Van said from behind her. He was looking around the courtroom for the woman he wanted to kill more than anything right then. 'What a coward. She can't even face the rest of us before the trial starts for today,' Van thought with a scowl before turning back to Fiona.

"Don't worry about it so much Fiona," Karl said from next to her but he was sure that it didn't have quite the effect that he was looking for. He knew there were many things he could use that could negate most of the testimony she gave but he knew that damage would still be made because of it.

"That's kind of hard to do," Fiona mumbled and fell quiet after that. She was so nervous about what she was about to hear that she just wished she could run out of there at that moment. She knew that it wouldn't be possible though.

The doors opened and Fiona turned her head and saw Ethan and his lawyer enter the courtroom. They both looked as confident as ever and it made her want to throw up. She shivered in disgust when Ethan looked at her and smirked. She just turned her head so that she wouldn't have to look at either of them.

A few minutes later the judge entered the courtroom and felt her nervousness rise. She could barely hear the judge speaking at that moment. She could feel Van's eyes on the back of her head and it helped to calm her down knowing that he was there for her no matter what.

"The defense may call it's witness," Fiona finally managed to hear and it was the worst words that she could possibly hear. She couldn't believe her mother was doing this to her. Fiona couldn't help but wonder what she could've possibly done to make her mother hate her as much as she did.

Mr. Anderson stood up with a smile. "The defense would like to call Ms. Claire Lynette to the stand," he said which earned a murmur to go through the crowd. It was clear that many thought he was crazy for this move. Many must have thought that Claire would be sympathetic to her daughters case.

'They've obviously not met my mother,' Fiona thought as she turned her head and saw her mother walking through the back doors. It was obvious that she stayed out of the courtroom just to avoid any confrontations between Van and his family. Fiona knew they wouldn't do anything to make Fiona look bad though.

Claire walked to the front of the courtroom and took a seat at the witness stand. "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?" the bailiff asked the woman on the stand. Claire said yes and sat down.

Mr. Anderson looked at some papers for a second before he walked towards the witness stand. "For the record, can you please state your relationship with the defendant?" he asked in a sickening voice.

"She's my daughter," Claire said taking a quick look towards Fiona. She gave her a disgusted look and then looked behind her towards Van's parents. Both of them were looking very pissed off about something. Claire just smirked and turned her attention back to Ethan's lawyer.

Mr. Anderson smirked and looked her directly in the eyes. This would probably be his biggest testimony so he decided to milk it for all that it's worth. "Is it true that when her father died that you took her in?" he asked with another smirk.

"It's true. She had nowhere else to go. So out of the goodness of my heart, I took her in," she said and couldn't help the smile that crossed her face because of the looks that cross Van's family's faces.

Mr. Anderson nodded his head and walked back and forth for a few seconds as if pondering his next question. "Please tell everyone what Miss. Lynette was like in all the time that she was living with you," he requested and she nodded her head in response.

"She was a very disrespectful child. I did everything for her and she never listened to anything I had to say. I fed her and put shelter over her head. I did everything I could to make sure that she lived a comfortable life. In response she ignored my few rules, was constantly arguing with me over petty things, among many other things," she said leaving out very key points just for the hell of it since it would only help Fiona.

Mr. Anderson knew she was withholding but he figured that it was for the best. "I see. According to Mrs. Saix, you were constantly setting your daughter up on dates with men of high standings without giving her much of a choice, is that true?" he questioned with a gleam in his eyes.

"I admit that it was true. However, I never forced it upon her. I gave options that could help her make a better life in the future. They were all very nice and well behaved men. I just didn't want to have to see her ruin her life because of the way she was living it at the time," she said finding it true but only to herself.

"So as you said in response to you giving her everything, she disrespected you for all your hard works to help her become a better person?" he asked and she just nodded her head. "Why would you say that she did things like that?" he asked taking a quick look towards Fiona.

"I'd say it was because of the friends she hung around with. They seemed to make it their purpose to make me out to be a bad person to her. The fact that she hated me since she first came only increased her stubbornness to accept me," she said wiping away a fake tear.

Anyone could tell that Mr. Anderson was clearly enjoying hurting Karl and Fiona with this testimony. "How was she when she was dating Mr. Flyheight?" he questioned and he saw her eyes harden at the mention of it.

"She was awful. I know that she was always going behind his back with other men even if he was never aware of it. I tried to get her to stop it but she never listened and continued to do what she wanted," she said glaring at Van and Fiona.

That statement made both Van and Fiona want to reach out nod just strangle the woman. They knew each other better to know that either would do such a thing to each other. They knew it wouldn't affect them but they worried what it would do to Fiona in the eyes of the jury.

"I see," Mr. Anderson said figuring he'd done enough damage. "That will be all your honor," he said turning and walking back to his seat. He got into a short conversation with an amused looking Ethan.

Karl was scowling throughout the entire thing. He knew he was going to have to do a lot of questioning to clean up the mess that he put Fiona in. He had plenty of things to use but probably not enough to get Fiona completely out of the mess she'd been put in. He just hoped it would be enough to get the response he needed.

Karl stood up and approached Claire. "Please tell the court why it is that you would find the need to testify against your own daughter? Aren't most parents supposed to stand up for their children?" he asked with a cold stare towards the woman. To him, she was the most despicable thing he'd ever seen.

"I don't believe in standing up for people just because of relationships. I only want the proper justice to be made. I know that Mr. James isn't guilty like my daughter had made him out to be. Why let an innocent man go to jail because of her lies?" she questioned him instead.

"Or could it possibly be because of her father that you're testifying against her?" he questioned which only caused her to give him a questioning look. "It is a well known fact that Mr. Lynette made millions shortly before your divorce to him. In his will he left everything to his daughter yet he didn't leave anything to you. Could it be that you feel hatred towards Fiona because of that fact?" he asked with a look that was daring her to lie about it.

Claire didn't even flinch under the intense stares of Karl, Fiona, and the Flyheight family. "Of course not. I admit that I was upset but that didn't make me feel hatred towards my daughter," she said basically lying through her teeth. She saw that act by George to be the biggest insult to herself.

Karl and just about everyone in the courtroom saw the change in posture at that question. They all knew she wasn't being completely truthful. "Your husband also left you little in the divorce as well," he stated remembering the files that he'd about the case. The thought of it made it rather amusing.

"George wasn't exactly the most honest man around. I only wanted little out of the divorce. I only got enough to survive which was enough for me. I accepted what was given to me," she said with pretty visible annoyance. She was trying to make herself look good and Karl wasn't helping her.

Karl just smirked because he'd basically caught her in her own lie. "Might I remind you Ms. Lynette that you are under oath here," Karl said as he walked back to his desk and picked up a folder that he had ready for just this occasion. He walked back to the witness stand.

"'You bastard! You cheap, arrogant, mother fucking bastard. I hope you burn in hell! This is insulting that you could keep doing these things to me! Now you plan to leave me barely enough to survive! You bastard!' Those were your exact words when the divorce was final and you realized just how much you actually got out of it. It was pretty obvious that you wanted more out of this," he said with an amused look on his face.

Mr. Anderson quickly stood up and slammed his hands down on the table. "Objection your honor!" he yelled seeing all his precious evidence just slipping out of his hands. He couldn't let Karl keep ruining one of his best witnesses.

"This evidence is proof that there's more behind Ms. Lynette's anger towards my client than what she has actually stated. This anger could make her say things that aren't completely truthful. I am merely trying to get to the truth," Karl reasoned while looking at the judge.

"Overruled!" the judge said much to Karl's relief and Mr. Anderson's anger. "Please continue Mr. Shubaltz. But please keep your statements reasonable," the judge warned which he just nodded his head to.

Mr. Anderson just couldn't see how everything he had going for him in this case was being turned against him now. He took his seat and looked through his stuff for anything that he could use to make a mess of Mr. Shubaltz's questions.

"Now Ms. Lynette, why would you say such things if you weren't angry over the choice to leave you with only enough to survive for quite a while?" he questioning seeing most of the mess being cleaned up quite a bit.

Claire was just about on wits end with these questions. She thought it wasn't supposed to turn out this way but her past was now ruining everything she said. "It never affected how I tried to raise my daughter these past few years," she hissed out but she knew it was already ruined.

"No more questions your honor," Karl said as he walked back his seat and arranged a few things for the next witness which would be much better than this one since it was going to be Van.

The judge looked towards Mr. Anderson and saw him turn his head away I defeat. "Very well, the court will dismiss for lunch and we'll continue in an hour," she said slamming the gavel down and took her leave with everyone else following.

* * *

"You should've seen her! I never saw her angrier than that as she left the courthouse," Van told Fiona since she avoided any sort of contact with her mother after the testimony she gave. Van couldn't blame her. 

"It's such a petty reason for her to hate you," Moonbay said and everyone nodded in agreement. "I never knew you were that rich Fiona. How come you never told us about the fortune you inherited?" Moonbay couldn't help but ask with a grin.

"It's because she has yet to actually inherit it," Karl explained and almost everyone gave him a confused look. "It's true that he left her just about everything he owned but only under the stipulation that she gets married. She can't get any of it before then," Karl explained and Fiona just nodded her head in agreement.

"Now it all makes sense," Van said making everyone look at him. "I always wondered why her mother would continuously set her up on dates with the rich guys. It's because she must've made a deal with them. They marry Fiona and in exchange she gets the money that was given to Fiona. She knew I would never do such a thing. So she tried to keep me as far away from Fiona as possible," he said and understanding dawned over just about everyone's faces.

"I've kind of known that for a while," Fiona finally spoke up in a quiet voice. It was the first time tha she spoke since they left to get some lunch. "I don't know why I never did much to stop her from doing whatever she wanted," she continued in a disappointed voice.

"You just wanted acceptance. It's kind of sick how she was just using you as a bargaining tool for her own selfish purposes," Van said as he placed an arm around Fiona's shoulder and held her close to him.

"Claire is a rather greedy woman. Overall, your father was actually a very generous man when it came to that divorce," Karl explained remembering what the settlement was. "He gave her plenty of money to keep her comfortable for a few years. He could've left with everything because of a prenup being signed but he didn't want to leave her with nothing to live off of. It wasn't enough for her. She wanted just about everything her had," Karl said just feeding on the anger that everyone was already feeling towards the woman.

Van turned his head to face his parents. "If you had such a rich friend, why didn't you ever ask him for help when we were having as much financial troubles as we were?" he couldn't help but ask. He knew that if Fiona's father was anything like Fiona that he would be more than happy to help.

Dan just smiled at his son and laughed at the question. "He offered more than a million time but we just couldn't accept it. We preferred hard work over just being given charity. It would've made a better impression upon you and Maria. It would teach you that you shouldn't rely on the guidance of others forever," Dan reasoned and he saw his son nod his head in understanding.

"Oh well, things worked out just fine in the end," he said clutching onto Fiona a little tighter. "So I'm going up next?" he questioned Karl and just nodded his head. "Fine by me. I have so much dirt to give out about that guy," he said with an evil looking grin that made everyone chuckle.

"You're a key person as well. You probably know the most about Fiona out of everyone. Not to mention that you are her fiancé and the person that she went to after the first attack, and was there the second time as well," Karl said and Van nodded his head in understanding once again.

Karl looked at his watch and finally realized what time it was "We'd all better be heading back. Better prepare yourself for what is to come," he said and stood up and headed back towards the courtroom with Fiona and the rest of them following right behind him.

After a few minutes they were all seated in their original seat and waiting for the judge to arrive as well. It only took another few minutes before the judge arrived and everything started all over again. "You may call your next witness Mr. Shubaltz," the judge said looking toward Karl.

Karl nodded his head and stood up. "We would like to call Van Flyheight to the stand," Karl said and watched as Van stood up and walked to the stand in front of the entire court, all of whom started to whisper again like they did when Fiona's mother first took the stand.

Van took the oath and had a seat as Karl approached him. On the outside he looked perfectly calm about this but he had to admit that he was pretty nervous about what the other guy was going to try. Mr. Anderson already proved he was out to ruin every bit of credibility Fiona had.

Karl gave a comforting smile since he knew what it was that Van was feeling at that moment. "Please state for the court what your relationship is to Miss Lynette," Karl requested deciding to start off easy for Van's sake.

"I was her best friend for the first half of high school and her boyfriend for the other half of it. Currently I am her fiancé," Van stated finding it really easy to talk all of a sudden. He knew he would do anything to prove to people that Fiona wasn't a bad person like her mom made her out to be.

"So you would say that you know Miss. Lynette better than most?" he requested and Van just nodded his head. "Please tell us what she was like in all the time that you knew her," he requested and noticed that Van immediately looked towards Fiona.

Van took a deep breath for what was going to be a long explanation. "She was always quiet and didn't like to talk about herself at first but quickly started to open up. She was very kind to many even if they annoyed her. She was easily hurt by the actions of her mother during all the time that she lived with her," Van said but was interrupted by Karl before he could continue.

Karl held up a hand for Van to stop. "So her Claire Lynette hurt her?" he asked and Van nodded his head. "How did she hurt her? Physically, emotionally, would you care to explain?" Karl asked knowing this might clear up the rest of the mess that had been made and put things in their favor.

"Well she didn't really physically hurt her but I would say it was more along the lines of an emotional level. Fiona was always trying to impress her mother. She just wanted to earn the woman's respect. It was never given to her since Claire Lynette wanted nothing more than control Fiona rather than be a mother to her," Van said glad to get that off his chest.

"So she never once acted like a mother in all the time that my client lived with her?" Karl questioned and Van just shook his head no. "Would you say that Miss. Lynette is an honest woman?" Karl questioned and Van's face brightened.

"Even if she wanted to lie, anyone could tell that it was one. She's simply not good at it. She's stubborn too and kept to her vow to wait for marriage during all the time we were together," Van said deciding to leave out their current relationship. He was telling what it was like before they broke up.

Karl nodded before more questions came to his mind based upon that answer. "Are you at all aware of what Mr. James and Miss. Lynette's relationship was like before that first incident?" he questioned and Van nodded his head. "What was it that you heard?"

"He was being very demanding of her. He wouldn't stop pestering her about sex and no matter how many times she said no he continued to pressure her. That's at least what I've heard from both Fiona and Moonbay," Van recalled after a short minute of thought.

Karl nodded his head and figured her had enough to just go into the attacks now. "What can you tell us about Miss. Lynette's physical state the night of the first incident?" he questioned since the only one that really knew was Van since Fiona didn't go to the doctors afterwards.

Van's hands clenched at his side and his face became distorted with anger but he pushed back the memory and calmed himself down. "She was wet because she ran in the rain all the way to my place. I can still remember how scared she was as well. There was a gash under her eye, as well as a bruise under it, there was also one on her stomach because he apparently kicked her," Van said finding the image pretty clear in his mind about what she looked like that night. It just made his blood boil and more anger to course through him.

Karl nodded his head looked at the jury who were taking it all in. "What about the second incident, what can you tell us about it?" he asked as he turned back and looked Van directly in the eyes.

"It was a few days after Fiona and I got back together. We went out that day and went to the mall. She decided to go into the and instead of coming I decided to get us some ice cream. On my way back to the store I heard her scream and rushed over there and found that he broke into the dressing rooms. There was a bruise upon her cheek but not much besides that since I got there pretty quickly," Van said finding his blood boil more and more with these memories.

"Thank you, that will be all," Karl said figuring that he got enough information out of Van. He somehow knew that he didn't have to worry too much about what Tom Anderson was going to try.

Mr. Anderson immediately stood up and approached Van with a wicked grin on his face. "If you know Miss. Lynette as much as you say you do, than please tell the court why it is that neither of you reported these supposed attacks?" he asked confidently as he stood in front.

"You're going to have to ask Fiona about that. If I was to answer I'd say that it is because she just doesn't have the heart to wish bad things upon people," Van said calmly as he leaned back in his seat and looked at the man.

Mr. Anderson just smirked at the response but he didn't like how Van didn't seem too fazed by it. "Or could it be that maybe she was feeling guilty about framing an innocent man like this?" he questioned with a malicious glare.

Van just smirked at the man. "What's the point of hurting yourself in these circumstances if only to get someone else in trouble?" Van questioned him in return and wanted to laugh at the look of fury on the guy's face. He forced his laughter down and kept as straight a face as he could possibly manage.

Mr. Anderson glared at Van for his stupid responses. "Mr. Flyheight! Did you and Miss. Lynette have an affair while she was still engaged to my client!" he asked a little louder than he meant for it to sound. "And might I remind you that you're under oath!" he said with a smirk.

Van returned it calmly. "Nope," he said simply with a grin. "I know he wishes it was that way so he can have his own reason to make her prove herself to still be honest to him through sex," Van said and he could've sworn he saw steam start to come out of the guy's ears.

Mr. Anderson scowled and slammed his hands down upon the witness stand. "Yet according to records, barely a week after she left him she was your girlfriend. You had a wife if I remember right. I somehow doubt that things could've moved like that in only a week," he accused Van.

Van just sighed since the guy was really starting to annoy him. He saw Karl about to object but he held up his hand to stop him. "I was getting a divorce and Fiona had already left him. I don't see any problem in the two of us being together under those conditions. Besides, nothing started until after I left my wife, which was after she left your client," he explained which only seemed to infuriate him more.

Van knew he decided on the divorce right after their first time together but he knew it wouldn't help Fiona that much. 'Besides, I did leave Tiffany with the idea of getting a divorce. I just wasn't completely sure until afterwards. Technically we weren't truly back together until after my decision since Fiona thought it was a one night thing at the time,' he thought to make his words more truthful.

Mr. Anderson just plain gave up right there. 'This guy isn't going to give any of the answers I need! I get the feeling he'll just turn all my questions against me!' he thought as he calmed down and walked to the bench where a pissed off looking Ethan was waiting.

The judge looked confused for a second before turning towards Van. "You may step down Mr. Flyheight," she said kindly and watched as he nodded his head and went back to his seat right behind Fiona. "Is there any more witnesses either of you would like to call to the stand before we convene for the day?" the judge questioned since they would be early to release.

Karl leaned over and whispered a few things to Fiona. She looked a bit apprehensive about the idea but she nodded her head anyways and he gave her a sympathetic look. He just wanted this to end as quickly as possible. He knew it wasn't a good idea but it might benefit them in the end.

Before Karl could mention his idea, Mr. Anderson stood up with a determined look in his eyes. Things hadn't gone too good the past few witnesses so he figured that he'd better take a chance. "Your honor, I would like to call my client Ethan James to the stand," he demanded in a booming voice.

Karl was kind of shocked that he wanted Ethan to take the stand so soon. 'He must be getting desperate and in need of some good evidence upon his side,' Karl thought as he looked towards Fiona. He was planning something different but he figured that it might work out for the best either way.

The judge thought it over for a moment before coming to a decision. "Very well," the judge said and watched as Ethan got out of his seat and confidently walked towards the witness stand. He took his seat and had a look of confidence on his face like everything was going just fine.

Karl glared at Mr. Anderson lightly as he passed. "Getting a bit desperate?" he questioned him silently so that no one else could hear. He didn't receive a reply and that just made him rather angry.

Looking towards Fiona, he saw her eyes were downcast and doing whatever she could to avoid any sort of contact with her ex-fiancé. "It's going to be ok. It was bound to happen eventually," he said and Fiona only slightly nodded her head while still not looking at what was going on.

"Please state your name for the record and you relationship with the plaintiff," Mr. Anderson demanded in a way that was much kinder than what he'd done with the other witnesses that he already questioned.

Ethan looked towards Fiona and smirked but growled when he saw that she was avoiding any sort of contact with him. "My name is Ethan James and I was her fiancé for a few months before this whole mess started," he said taking his eyes away from her and towards his lawyer.

Mr. Anderson nodded and smiled before he started to pace around a bit like he normally does when he's thinking. "What would you say the relationship between the two of you was like before her accusations?" he questioned with sympathy towards Ethan laced through his last few words.

"I always thought we had a really good relationship if you know what I mean," he said with a smirk as he looked towards Fiona again but took notice of her pissed off fiancé sitting right behind her. He glared at Van before facing forward again.

Van knew not to take it seriously. He was well aware that he was Fiona's first time. 'This guy will just keep talking shit and lies just to make himself look good,' Van thought trying to calm himself but he found it really hard.

"But according to several people, Miss. Lynette claims to have wanted to wait till marriage," Mr. Anderson said trying to cut off an counterarguments that he was sure that Karl would try to use to once again change the situation in his favor.

Ethan smirked as he took another look towards Fiona. "That's the way she supposedly wanted it when we first met but she didn't last very long," he said feeding his ego a little even if he knew it was a lie. He never could stand how Fiona was so insistent on remaining pure no matter how hard he tried.

"Objection your honor!" Karl yelled as he stood up quickly. "This trial isn't about the supposed sex life of my client but the abuse she went through by Mr. James!" Karl yelled finding what Ethan said to be degrading to Fiona.

Mr. Anderson just smirked a confident smirk since he'd been expecting such an outburst from his rival. "But according to several people, this supposed abuse started from her supposed lack of unwillingness to have sexual intercourse with my client. So it has everything to do with this case," he said turning his smirk towards Karl.

The judge looked very reluctant to make her answer but she did so anyways. "Overruled. But please keep the comments made to be acceptable," she said and Mr. Anderson nodded his head with another big smirk towards Karl.

Karl growled as he sat down and watched what had to be the worst torment for Fiona. To have her name dragged through the mud with accusations that he knew weren't actually real. 'You won't get your victory!' he thought angrily.

Mr. Anderson motioned for Ethan to continue. "Even though she said she wanted to wait, she was all too eager to get into bed with me," he said with a smirk as he watched Fiona's eyes narrow in anger but she still didn't look at him. "She always claimed that he loved me but I knew better than that. She was always cheating on me but I didn't do anything for some reason," he said this time managing to keep a straight face.

Fiona wanted to slap the guy for these accusations. He was making her sound like a whore and she didn't like that. 'Just because I refused to sleep with him doesn't mean that he needs to make out to be like that,' she thought while her hands clutched onto her skirt tightly.

Mr. Anderson nodded with another look of sympathy towards Ethan. "Why did you stay with her if you knew that she was constantly being unfaithful to you?" he question taking a look towards Fiona who refused to meet his eyes as well.

Ethan sighed and gave a look of deep disappointment for himself. "Because I thought I was in love with her. I didn't want to lose her. Then one night she just comes home acting crazy. I admit I got a little rough trying to calm her down but I didn't actually hit her," he lied but looked like he was being completely honest. "She just ran off afterwards," he said looking towards his own lap like he was disappointed but he was really laughing on the inside.

Mr. Anderson just kept nodding in agreement with what Ethan was saying. He knew perfectly well that Ethan was guilty but he didn't even give a care. All he cared for was victory even at the expense of others. "What can you tell us about the other two supposed attacks? Would you please give us what actually happened?" he asked in what sounded like a worried tone.

"There's not really much to say about them. I'd been trying to get her back since she left but couldn't even contact her. The night before the incident at the mall she called and asked me to talk to her when she went to the mall the next day," he started but suddenly stopped and seemed to hesitate.

It was a few more moments before he finally continued to say what he wanted. "I did what she wanted and went there to meet her. She just told me the place and where and I went there. I knew a changing room was that great a place to meet but I did it anyways," he said before taking a deep breath. "Almost as soon as I met her she started to freak out and hit herself. The next thing I knew I was being thrown out of it by Flyheight. I just ran because I didn't want to get in trouble for something I didn't do. I just know that that was what she was trying to do," he said looking incredibly sad.

"I know this might be hard to talk about but what about the second time. If you knew that she was trying to do such a thing than why did you try again?" he asked looking confused.

Ethan shook his head as if he was questioning the idea himself. "I don't know why I tried again. I guess you can just call it hope that she'd change her mind. Love makes you do stupid things. It happened just like the first; she called me up and asked me to meet her again at the hotel she was staying at with her friend. Almost as soon as I met her, she freaked out worse than the last time and really started to hurt herself. I tried to stop her but she wouldn't. I just ran because I knew it would look suspicious towards me. I guess that's why they arrested me though," he said with a sigh while he continued to shake his head.

"Very well, thank you," Mr. Anderson said with a nod before he turned and walked back to the defendants table. He stopped just before sitting down and looked towards Karl with a glare before smirking.

Karl stood up after this and walked up to the witness stand. "Let me see if I can get this straight, you are saying that my client called you before each encounter asking if she could meet with you?' Karl asked figuring it was a pretty lame story considering what both Van and Moonbay said before then. 'You've been getting way to cocky and careless Tom,' Karl thought with a straight face.

"That is correct. I just wanted to see if I could work things out with her. Wouldn't anyone in love want to see if they can work things out?" Ethan decided to question back and couldn't help but feel confident when he saw Karl nod his head.

"It's true that people who are in love do that. However, how was my client supposed to know that you were there? Her fiancé Van Flyheight said that he left of his own will to get some ice cream. My client didn't ask him to get some for her. So how could she have asked you to meet her at that exact time if it was possible that he would be with her?" Karl asked suddenly feeling a bit anxious to see how he could get out of this fact.

"Well we were in the dressing room. I don't think I had to fear seeing him in such a private place either way," Ethan said trying to withhold his laughter at the pathetic attempt to wreck his story.

"What about at the hotel? According to a statement made by Mrs. Saix after the attack, it was an idea that was made that very day. When could she have possibly found the time to call you and make this supposed arrangement if, as according to Mrs. Saix, the two of them were never separated the whole day? Mrs. Saix even stated that she requested Miss. Lynette to go to the room," he said and couldn't help but smile as he saw Ethan pale a little at this fact. It was pretty obvious that he wasn't aware of this fact.

Ethan got over his shock and scowled at Karl. "How am I supposed to know? I just got the call and because I was in town at the time I just decided to meet with her," he said the first thing that he could possibly think of.

Karl just knew that everyone saw how he hesitated before answering the question. 'Caught in you own lies again,' he thought seeing this case as becoming easier and easier. 'I can't get cocky about this,' he thought as he stood straight. He noticed that Fiona was trying to call him over at that moment. He walked over and Fiona whispered a few things in his ear. He nodded in understanding and remembered a report that was made about it.

He stood up straight confidently and walked back to the witness stand with a face that was devoid of all emotions. "Mr. James, please tell the court how it was that you got into my client's room," Karl demanded as he watched Ethan become increasingly nervous.

Ethan twitched as his mind sought for an excuse as quickly as possible. "I just met her outside the room. She came and let me in herself," he asked putting on a façade of confidence that hid his fear pretty well.

"A witness report of someone that was staying on the floor reported that they saw my client heading towards her room just before the attack. Though they didn't stay long enough to know what happened next, they did know that the halls were empty at the time. So I doubt that there is any way you could've been waiting for her to arrive," Karl stated and Ethan twitched slightly.

"They must've not have seen me at the time. I was standing off to the side so they could've easily have just missed me," he said although the lack of confidence in himself was almost a giveaway. 'Think quick or you'll go to jail!' he mentally yelled wishing for some sort of thing to get him out of this mess.

"She didn't let you in, did she Mr. James?" Karl questioned and was surprised when Ethan couldn't find an answer. 'No retort, must be running out of excuses,' he thought knowing he could finish this case quickly with the right prodding. "Care to tell us the truth? That you broke into her room and attacked her when she came in," Karl stated as his glared at the man.

"I did no such thing!" Ethan said in a voice louder than he meant to. "I never attacked her! Just because that bitch has it in for me doesn't mean that I actually attacked her! Man, everyone thinks she's perfect but she's nothing but a bitch! A lying, good for nothing, cheating bitch!" he pretty much yelled out which surprised just about everyone in the courtroom including his own lawyer who knew things were pretty much lost.

"I think that will be all," Karl said before turning and walking back to his table. He didn't need to look to know that Ethan was really regretting his words at that moment because Karl knew they were just going to hurt his opponent's case.

'I wonder if this outburst might end the case a little faster,' Van pondered as he watched Ethan get up and head back to the defendant's stand. 'I hope so. That way he will never bother Fiona again. I guess it's up to Fiona's testimony that will really decide the case now,' he continued and stood up to walk out when the judge called for an end to the proceedings for the day.

Fiona stood up and walked over to Van and embraced him tightly. She didn't say it but everyone knew she must've been really scared about all that had been said. "What does this all mean?" she couldn't help but question when Karl followed shortly after them out of the courtroom.

"Tom Anderson really screwed up. I just know that it was his client's wish to take the stand on impulse. He was angry about everything that had gone wrong today and let that anger out during his testimony. I'd probably say that the only thing that could possibly get him out of this mess after today is if you drop the charges," Karl stated and he saw Fiona shake her head wildly. 'I guess that's understandable. After being attacked three times by the same person, she just doesn't want to have to worry every second of the day that he might try again,' he thought giving her a sympathetic look.

Van and Fiona eventually fell behind the rest of them. Wrapped in each other's silent embrace, they couldn't be happier that probably the worst of the case was over and that it was to their benefit.

Fiona looked towards Van and couldn't help the smile that crossed her face. 'I'm pretty lucky to have gotten a guy like him,' she thought tightening her hold upon him. "Hey Van," she said deciding to speak up about something that had been on her mind for the last few days.

Van looked towards her and studied her expression. "Is everything alright Fiona?" he asked but she nodded her head. "Then what's on your mind?" he asked as they took a seat so that everyone could go ahead and they could speak a little more privately. To them, privacy was becoming a luxury.

"Van, what do you think about starting the planning for the wedding right now?" she asked even though she knew they planned to wait until the trial was over before they decided to get started. "It's just that this case has just made me think a lot about our past. It just made me realize how much more I want to marry you," she confessed looking at him waiting for some sort of reaction.

Van stared at her for a moment before a grin spread across her face. "I don't see any problem with that. Though things seem to be going pretty well at the moment, we have no idea what is going to happen. I like the idea. It means that we can get married that much sooner," he said and was flung backwards when she squealed in happiness and jumped into him. He just couldn't help but laughing.

It was a few moments before they collected themselves. "Hopefully there won't be many annoying interruptions. Speaking of which, where's Thomas? I haven't seen him at all today," Van said with a laugh as they stood up and continued on their way.

"I wouldn't be surprised if you scared him away already," Fiona said not even bothering to hold back her laughter as well. "But that it rather mean to say. I'd just say he's dense and persistent," she reasoned with a bright smile.

"Yeah, annoyingly persistent. You'd think he'd have it figured out that you just aren't interested," he said wrapping his arm around his future wife's waist. "Come on; let's go tell everyone what we decided. I think they'll be more than happy about it," he said as they started to walk to his car again. 'There's no way we are getting married while the case is still going on. But as soon as it is over I'm going to make sure the wedding comes shortly after that.'

"I think your mom has been planning that moment in her spare time. I think she'll try to do most of the work," she said trying to hold back her chuckles. "It will be nice to have everyone help out. That alone makes us know it will be the best wedding ever," she said taking his hand in her own and giving it a tight squeeze.

"Fiona, when you are a part of my Family, you get only the best. Even if we weren't rich, we would do everything we possibly could to make sure everything was perfect," he said kissing her cheek while squeezing her hand back.

"You're wrong," Fiona said which shocked Van. "Just being able to be a part of your family is what makes everything perfect, not the glamour that comes with it now. I could go without all the benefits and be just as happy," she said giving him a smile that she reserved only for the love of her life.

Van knew that she meant every word she said. 'She truly is a one of a kind woman. I'll never find another person like her ever again,' he thought with a loving smile. "You're so different from your mom. How are you even related to her?" he asked for what had to be the millionth time since he first met her.

"Bad luck?" Fiona asked which caused Van to burst out in laughter. "It doesn't matter now. After all she said, I don't think I'll ever want to talk to her again. I have a new family now. She raised me but I'll never consider her my mother ever again," Fiona said in a bitter voice.

Van stared at Fiona in shock. He'd never heard her talk like that but he couldn't help but agree with her. 'Claire must've really pushed Fiona too far today,' he thought with a sad sigh. He placed his hand upon her shoulder and she looked up at him with a smile. "Are you sure that you're ok Fiona? That had to be pretty rough to deal with," he asked looking at her as she walked with her head down.

Fiona was silent for a second before nodding her head slowly. Her eyes didn't leave the ground though. "Yeah, I'll just need some time to get over the shock of some of the things I heard today. The idea that we can start planning our wedding is definitely helping me though," she said as she looked up into his eyes.

Van noticed that her eyes were both hurt and happy. He wished he could just take that hurt away from her. "I'm sure she'll forget all about these problems on your wedding night,' his mind teased him which made Van blush a little. He was glad that Fiona didn't notice it though.

"Fiona… lets just not think about what happened today. Things worked in our favor and that is all that mattered. That woman doesn't deserve to be thought about so much. She's just a spoiled bitch that needs to keep out of your life," Van stated honestly. "Just give me the word, and I'll make sure that she can never interfere with our lives again. I just want to see you happy. It hurts to see you as sad as you have been. I want to see that smile of yours everyday. So please just cheer up," he begged before pulling her deep into his embrace.

Fiona looked up with tear filled eyes but she was really happy to hear him say such words to her. She put on a true smile and leaned up to kiss him. It was sweet and everything that she'd come to expect from Van. "Thank you, you don't know how much it meant to me to hear that," she said wiping away her tears of happiness.

Van had to admit that Fiona's smile was contagious as one broke out on his face. "I'm glad," he said as they took a step back from each other. He kissed her one more time before he stepped back fully but kept her hand within his own. "Come on. They'll be waiting for us. We have a lot to do," he said giving her hand a light tug in the direction of his car.


	26. their pain

It was wild for the next few days as a few more witnesses were questioned. They had their good days and their bad days but Fiona could tell that Karl was very optimistic about what the outcome of the trial would be like. Fiona couldn't help but admit to herself that she wasn't as optimistic.

Fiona also had to admit that the last few days had been pretty good as well. When Van and her told everyone about the decision, they got a very pleased reaction from everyone else. 'I was right too, his mom is trying to take over,' she thought with a hint of amusement.

Fiona laid back on the couch while looking over a wedding magazine that Karin had given her to look at. Fiona was really grateful for all the help the older woman was putting in. Having helped with several weddings, including her own, Karin knew what she was doing most of the time.

The only problem Fiona could see was that her future mother-in-law was becoming quite a bit more insistent with her grandchildren scheme. '"Why are you so insistent on us having children?" she asked all of a sudden before she could stop herself. Her curiosity was just becoming too much.

Karin looked up from the stove where she was cooking what had to be a delicious meal with a smile on her face. "Is there a problem with asking?" Karin asked while she stirred whatever it was that was in the pot.

"Well… no, but I was just wondering. You already have one grandchild, yet it seems that you're more insistent about it than before," Fiona spoke her mind since she knew that it was the way that Karin preferred it. Karin liked to be told the truth straight forward.

"Wouldn't you be if you've seen how cute children are?" she asked with a bright smile as she walked towards the woman that was like another daughter to her. "Do you really want to know the truth?" she asked as her face actually became a little less cheerful than anyone was used to.

Fiona sat up straight and actually grew a bit worried when she didn't see the normally happy smile on the older woman's face. She just nodded her head slowly and hesitantly. She just felt like she had to know though. She didn't want to pry but she couldn't help but wonder.

Karin took a seat and a calm smile passed over her face. "To put it simply, Van and Maria are miracles," she said but decided to elaborate when she saw the confused look on Fiona's face. "When I was fifteen, I was in an accident. The result was that I wasn't supposed to be able to have children," she said sadly as she looked towards the floor.

Fiona couldn't believe what she was hearing. She never would've thought that something like that could happen to such a wonderful woman. "I'm sorry to hear that," she said with sympathetic smile. She was really glad that things didn't turn out that way but she just couldn't help but feel sympathy for the woman.

"It's ok. It was thought to be impossible but then I suddenly had Maria. No one could figure out how it was possible. Then a few years later I got lucky again and had Van. I shouldn't have had the two of them but I did. It may sound really strange but the accident was one of the best things that ever happened to me," she said with an embarrassed laugh.

"Wow. To have two children when you weren't supposed to really is a miracle," Fiona said in shock. Fiona couldn't help but wondered how it would even be possible for an accident like that to be the best thing to ever happen to her. She just waited hoping that Karin could explain.

Karin actually laughed more. "I bet you're wondering how it could possibly be happy about it," Karin stated and received a nod in return. "You see, I only had two true friends at the time, your father and another old friend. I had others but those two were the only ones that really stayed with me and helped me through the accident," she said with a fond smile at the memory.

Fiona thought she understood a little better. "So the accident just showed you who your true friends were. I know the feeling. When I was in the hospital, all my closest friends remained with me when I needed them the most. My own mother didn't even come to see me," Fiona said finding little amusement in her last words. It was something she knew she should've expected. "Yet you had people like Dan and my father to help you," she said finding it to be a really nice story.

Karin just laughed a little more much to Fiona's confusion. "Actually, I didn't even know Dan before then. I met Dan shortly after the accident and we started to go out. He was so kind to me during all that time. I just didn't have the heart to lie about my predicament when we really started to become close. So I told him the truth. I expected the worst out of it since he was the type of man who wanted a family of his own. He was upset but he didn't leave me for it. It actually brought us even closer than before. He actually asked me to marry him shortly after that. It's embarrassing to say this but when he first asked, I accused him of just doing it out of sympathy for me," she said with a blush of embarrassment.

"Then I told her the truth," Dan said as he walked into the room with a sleeping Michael in his arms. "That I was doing it because I loved her. That I was disappointed about the idea of not having children but that it didn't matter to me. I asked her to marry me because I wanted to. I loved her and that was the only reason I needed," Dan said walking over and giving his wife a quick kiss.

"His explanation was a lot more complicated than that but wasn't any less important. Needless to say, I didn't wait another second before I agreed. Then, I somehow had Maria shortly after we were married. Things were great afterwards. I didn't even expect Van. I admit that we tried but we never actually thought that it would happen again," she said becoming her normal happy self in an instant. "To answer your question, it is because I never thought I would have them before I had Maria and Van," she said with a bright smile.

Fiona was in tears by the end of the story. She thought that what Dan did was one of the most loving acts by anyone. He married her even when he knew she couldn't have children when he wanted some of his own. 'I now see where Van gets it all from,' Fiona thought as she wiped her tears away. "I'm glad that things worked out that way. I got to meet Van because of it," she said with a smile.

"I just know that you and Van are going to be just as happy as Dan and I are. Probably with a lot more children though," she said with a grin that caused Fiona to blush a deep red which Karin laughed at. "You two have been through a lot more. So I would say that it's possible for you to be even happier though," she said as an after thought.

Fiona couldn't help but smile at the thought. "I somehow know that we will. I promise that we'll have plenty of children for you to love," she said since she too wanted many beautiful children from Van.

"Yay!" Karin said like a little kid. She was definitely proof that you grow old but don't have to completely grow up. Just about everyone in the room couldn't help but laugh in amusement at her antics.

Fiona smiled and went back to looking at the magazine. She didn't notice that Karin calmed down and was staring at Fiona as if lost in some sort of memory. 'They're so much alike. So I just know that they'll be just as happy,' she thought before returning to her food which was nearly finished.

* * *

Fiona couldn't help but dread this day ever since the trial started. That day was the day that she'd have to be questioned. She'd have to relive those attacks for everyone to hear. She'd rather that she didn't have to go up though but she knew her testimony was crucial to the trial.

She just sat there quietly while Karl organized his things off to the side. She was much paler that day than she normally was because the thought of talking about the whole experience scared her pretty badly.

"Just calm down. You'll only have to do this once anyways. The trial should be finished pretty soon. Then you'll never have to worry about any of this again," Karl whispered and she just numbly nodded her head. He turned back to look at his papers but couldn't help but feel sympathy for the girl.

Fiona didn't even watched as her Ethan came into the courtroom dressed in one of the finest suit he had like all the other times that they'd been there. Fiona didn't even need to look to know this. She knew he was just trying to look good for everyone and to show that he had lots of money.

The judge came walking into the courtroom a few minutes later. Fiona's fear started to build since she knew that it would only be a few more minutes before she'd be up there. 'Take deep breaths,' she told herself as her hands clenched into fists upon her lap.

She could barely even hear herself being called to the stand by Karl. It was only after he nudged her slightly that she got the idea and shakily stood up and walked towards the stand where she quickly took the oath before taking her seat. She felt like her legs were about to collapse from under her by that point.

Karl stood and approached Fiona. His face was masked of all emotions but Fiona knew that he was going to try and make this as easy on her as possible. "Miss. Lynnette, please tell the court your relationship to Mr. James," Karl asked decided to go for simple questions at first.

Fiona took a deep breath and tried to straighten her thoughts. "W-we were engaged for about a month before this whole mess started," she somehow managed to get out before taking another deep breath.

Karl nodded his head before spitting out his next question. "If you would, please give us an honest explanation of what that relationship was like before the night of the first attack," he asked in a soft voice to try and calm her.

"Strained," was her simple reply. "He was pushing for sex despite the fact that I kept telling him no. To tell the truth, I guess I didn't love him like a fiancée should. That was why I never even considered having sex with him before we were married," she said honestly because she didn't want anyone to take her for a liar. That would only hurt her later.

Karl knew what Fiona was doing. He thought it might be the right thing but he was hoping that she would watch what she says. "Then why agree to marry him?" he asked with sympathy. 'To tell the truth now, people would know that and would be more inclined to believe her,' he thought but was still wary about what would be said.

"I was in so much pain. The one I really loved I couldn't have because he was married. Ethan was kind to me at first. I guess I hoped that I could love him. It just kept getting harder and harder to do that though. He just kept disrespecting my wishes not to have sex with him," she replied hesitantly. She just hoped that she wouldn't say the wrong things that would be used against her.

Karl nodded and decided to just get the hard parts over with so that she wouldn't have to stay up there much longer. "If you can, will you please tell us what really happened the night you left him," he asked before taking a few steps back to give her more room.

Fiona cringed as memories of all three attacks kept coming back to her. "I- I came home late because I was having dinner with one of my closest friends, Moonbay Saix. He was angry and immediately threw around accusations of me cheating on him. I explained to him the truth but he wasn't satisfied. He wanted proof. He grabbed me and started to drag me towards his room. I admit that I slapped him for such a thing but then he hit me pretty hard because of it," she said and rubbed her cheek where it had once been hit that night.

Fiona did what she could to get herself as composed as possible before she continued. "Afterwards, he grabbed my arm again and continued to drag me towards his room. I started to panic and told him to let me go. He wouldn't, he just held on tighter. I then bit his arm and he finally let go only to backhand me across the face again," she explained and suddenly felt the sting of the pain in her face.

Karl listened carefully, as did the rest of the courtroom, as she made this statement. Anyone could tell that she seemed to not just be telling it but seemed to be feeling and reliving such a painful experience.

"I- I was thrown back and then he came up to me and punched me in the face. I fell to the ground and then had the air knocked out of me when he kicked me in the stomach. I was stunned and scared for a while before I did the first thing I could and kicked him in the nuts," she said and just about every male in the courtroom flinched at the mention of it, none more than Ethan who grabbed his own nuts.

Secretly, Karl really hoped that Ethan was in excruciating pain afterwards. "So afterwards, you ran away from there?" Karl questioned and she just nodded her head. "Where did you go afterwards?" he asked kindly.

"To my current Fiancé, Van Flyheight's, place. We used to date in high school and would probably have married afterwards but my mother had a really big tendency to interfere with the best thing that ever happened in my life," she said casting Van a small smile.

Karl could definitely understand that. The woman he saw a few days ago definitely was a big bitch and wanted to have things her way. "He had a wife at the time, is that correct?" he asked and she said yes. "Why did you go to him then?"

"Because I loved and trusted him more than anyone else I knew. I realize that nothing could come out of it but he was still a good friend to me. I just wanted to be around someone like that in those moments," she said and nearly everyone could sympathize with her.

Karl was glad that she seemed to be looking a little better as the testimony went on. 'It will just make it easier for her,' he thought before continuing. "What about the day of the second attack? What really happened that day?" he asked and took a step back again.

It was a few weeks after the night I left Ethan. Van had decided to get a divorce from his wife and we got back together afterwards," she started before taking a deep breath. "We'd gone to the mall that day and I went into a clothes store while he went to get us some ice cream. I'd only gone to the changing room to try on an outfit. In the middle of changing, Ethan suddenly appeared. I don't even know how since I know I locked the stall I was in. he claimed that it was to get me back but when I refused her slapped me again. I screamed for help and before he could do any serious damage, Van came and helped me out," she said finding her words more confident than when she first started.

The more and more Karl heard her speak, the more and more he became determined to put Ethan away for as long as possible. "And the night of the third attack?" he asked without hesitation.

"Tiffany, Van's ex wife, lied to Van claiming that she was pregnant with his child. This caused problems between us. Moonbay and I had decided to go away for a few days to relax and hope that a solution to the problem could be made," she started knowing that just about everyone was aware of the conflict between Van and his ex-wife.

It was a few moments later before Fiona continued. She hated thinking about that attack the most because it was the most painful one for her. "That night, Moonbay had been gambling and I was getting hungry. Unfortunately, she used most of the money and didn't have enough to get something to eat at the time. She asked me to go up to our room and get some more money," she said and rubbed her side where the smallest of scars was still present. It was barely noticeable and the only one, but it was there.

"I went up tot eh room and grabbed the money before I realized that someone else was in the room. I turned around and he was there. I demanded that he leave but he didn't. He started to taunt me about my problems and I continuously told him to leave. I tried to call security but he cut the phone lines to my room. he continued to go on with his accusation that I cheated on him which ended up with him smacking me across the face," she said but then hesitated since she didn't want to talk about the actual attack.

Once again, it was several moments before she could muster up the courage to talk. "He told me that he would never leave him alone because he thought I betrayed him. He said I needed to be punished for it," she said remembering the night all too clearly. She could just about remember every word he said to her.

"That was when the actual attack began. He kicked me and then grabbed me by the hair and dragged me to my feet. He threw me onto the bed and then grabbed me again and threw me into the wall. He picked me up and all I could think at that time was that there was no one to help me. Moonbay couldn't hear me scream and Van was in a completely different city along with Irvine," she said then remembered that was when things got really bad.

Flashback

'Van!' she mentally screamed in her head wishing that he'd come and save her like he did last time. 'He doesn't even know where I am.' She thought feeling like crying that the one person she wanted at that moment wasn't there to save her.

"Van's not going to be here to save you like last time you little whore!" Ethan sneered before throwing her into a chair which ended up breaking it. "Bad girls need to be punished, that is what I'm planning to do," she said walking over and started to kick her several times. He knew he probably broke a few ribs in the process but he didn't care since he was having fun.

Fiona couldn't breathe at that moment. Her ribs were killing her and she felt like she was about to suffocate. "Please, just leave me alone," she begged him when she could manage to speak again.

"No!" Ethan yelled and picked her up by the collar of her shirt. He punched her in the face but didn't let go of her. He then lifted her above his head and then threw her into the mirror which shattered it just like the chair.

Fiona was barely moving at that point. Her body was already badly bruised. Her eyes barely opened to see him approaching her. "What do you want?" she was barely able to get out through all of her pain and the broken ribs.

"For you to die," he said simply before kneeling down in front of her. "And for it to be slow and excruciating," he said before picking up one of the shattered pieces of the mirror and looked at the sharp edges of it.

Fiona screamed loudly when he brought it down and started to cut into her skin. The screaming was hurting her even more but she just couldn't seem to stop herself. He just kept cutting into her all over her body leaving a pool of blood flowing underneath her.

Ethan seemed to get bored with it eventually and stood up. He through the mirror piece off to the side. He looked down at her with a smirk before he once again started kick her over and over in the ribs. He then laid a kick to her head which made her roll several feet before coming to a stop.

Fiona felt the last bit of her consciousness leaving her in that moment. She was only conscious enough to hear him say, "Good riddance to bad trash," before her world went dark with what she thought would be her last living moments.

End Flashback

Fiona was desperately trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall after retelling the entire night to the whole courtroom. It was just becoming way too much for her to think about. 'I want to get out of here,' she thought in a panic.

Karl saw the state Fiona was starting to get into and thought that it would be best for him not to push it any further than it needed to go for her. "That will be all you honor," he said before turning and walked back to his seat.

Mr. Anderson stood up actually looking a bit paler than her normally was. He just grabbed a few things and walked up the witness stand. "Miss. Lynette," he started sounding much more normal than he looked at that moment. "If these so-called attacks actually happened, why didn't you report them to the police?" figuring that Van's answer wasn't what he wanted.

Fiona took a few moments to get herself together again and wiped the few tears that escaped from her eyes. "I didn't want any trouble. My entire life was a mess at that time. I didn't want to complicate it anymore with something like this trial," she said in a weak voice.

Mr. Anderson just looked at her coldly for a few moments. "Miss. Lynette, have you ever had sex?' he asked hoping to catch her in a lie like Karl had done to him far too many times before this day.

Karl growled and stood up quickly. He didn't want to have Fiona go through any more pain which was what Tom was doing. "Objection your honor!" he yelled and grew more infuriated at the smirk that came up upon Mr. Anderson's face.

"I once again reiterate that these supposed attacks partly have to do with her supposed unwillingness to perform sexual intercourse with my client," he said with a taunting smirk towards Karl.

The judge felt sorry for Fiona for what she had to do. It was obvious that the girl was in pain but she had to do her job. "Overruled, but watch your questions," she warned Mr. Anderson who just nodded his head and repeated his question.

Fiona wasn't sure how she was going to answer. She was quiet for what seemed like several minutes as everyone waited patiently for her answer. "…Yes," she said looking towards the ground refusing to meet the eyes of the horrible man that stood before her. "It was after I left Ethan though. I never had sex with him or anyone else before then. He just wishes that we did to boost his own ego," she said taking a quick look in Van's direction and saw the comforting smile he was giving her.

Mr. Anderson was expecting her to deny it so he was taken off guard at that moment. "I thought you wanted to wait till marriage," he said with a smirk when he finally managed to regain his composure a few seconds later.

"I did. I love Van with all my heart, which is why I don't have any regrets about it. Ethan sees women as tools for his own pleasure. I realize that I could never have been happy if I did such a thing with him. He's the type that would probably just leave after he got what he wanted,' she said and welcomed the warm glances that Van was giving her,

Mr. Anderson was rather unimpressed with her words so he decided to dig deeper into the attacks instead. "This supposed first attack that you described, my client only hit you after you hit him first. Could he have only done it in his own self defense?" he asked with a mask to block out all of his emotions for that moment.

Fiona shook her head no before glaring into the eyes of her ex. "I hit him because I was afraid he would try to rape me if given the chance. He hit me to try and keep me from resisting. There's a huge difference between what I did and what he did that night. So don't even try to put all the blame for this on me," Fiona said feeling a little stronger than she thought she was.

"But you still attacked him first. It's only natural for a person to want to defend themselves. You also apparently were the one that ended it by leaving my client injured," he said with a smirk before turning around. "No more questions your honor," he said before taking his seat.

"You may step down Miss. Lynette," the judge said before turning to the rest of the people there. "That's it for testimony, this trial will convene when the jury makes it's verdict," she said slamming the gavel down and stood up before walking out of the courtroom.

Karl stood up and looked towards Mr. Anderson who didn't look as calm as he usually is. He was having a bit of an argument with his client. 'This will finally end,' he thought turning to look at Fiona as she stood up and started to walk back.

Van stood up and walked towards the front of the courtroom as everyone else besides his family left the place. He just watched as Fiona slowly made her way back towards them. 'She doesn't look too good,' he thought a bit worried.

Fiona finally made it to them looking pretty pale at that moment. "Is it over?" she asked and Karl just nodded his head. She smiled before suddenly passing out. Van was quick and caught her before she could hit the ground.

"I'd say that she's just tired and has had too much stress put on her today. Just give her some rest and she should be ok," Karl said after looking her over very quickly. He was a lawyer but knew a bit about being a doctor from when he tended to Thomas after his younger brother got into a mess.

Van nodded and picked Fiona up bridal style and just carried her out of the courtroom. He ignored everyone who gave him odd stares and made his way to his car where he carefully put Fiona inside. He had a few quick words with his parents before he got in as well and drove off to go home.

* * *

Fiona moaned as her eyes fluttered open. She sat up and immediately took in her surroundings. She found that she was in their bed and that the sun was shining. "How did I… get here?" she questioned a bit confused.

"You passed out after your testimony," Van said as he walked into the room. He walked over to her and gave her a kiss before sitting down next to her. "I took you back home afterwards. How are you feeling now?" he asked her looking at her with eyes that were filled with worry.

Fiona turned towards him and smiled that beautiful smile of hers. "Much better thank you. I didn't really get much sleep last night and I was really stressed while I was waiting and giving my testimony. I'm fine now," she said resting her head upon his shoulder.

Van looked at her peaceful face and couldn't help the smile that crossed his face. "I'm glad. I have to admit that I was worried," she said wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "You should rest a little more. Right now we only have to wait for the jury to make it's decision before this is all over," he said lying her down upon the bed.

When he knew that she was comfortable, Van stood up and prepared to leave the room when he felt Fiona grab a hold of his arm. He looked down at her with a smile. "Do you want anything?" he asked her in the fondest voice he could manage.

"For you to hold me," she said and was really happy when he just climbed into the bed next to her and took her into his arms. She smiled as her eyes closed and she relaxed into his embrace knowing that this was where she wanted to be for the rest of her life.

Van had his eyes closed but he was still awake long after Fiona had gone back to sleep. He loved the feel of her in his arms and never wanted to let her go. 'Now that this is ending, we can put our full attention towards our wedding,' he thought feeling himself starting to drift off to sleep.

The suddenly ringing of the phone took him from such ideas. He quickly grabbed the phone and answered it before the ringing had any chance of waking Fiona up. He walked out of the room before he said anything. "Hello?" he answered trying to hold back his irritation at being interrupted.

"Van, this is Karl Shubaltz," Karl said which immediately made Van straighten up. He knew this had to be serious because that was the way that Karl sounded. "I'm calling about the trial. The jury has already reached a verdict," he said which shocked Van a great deal.

"So soon?" Van questioned but didn't even wait for an answer before he decided to continue on. "Is this a good thing or a bad thing? I mean, we just finished hearing witnesses earlier today," Van said sounding a bit worried.

"I don't know. It just means that the jury knew their answer before they went in. Anyways, the trial will resume tomorrow at noon to hear the verdict. I have high hopes for this case so try not to worry," he said and Van felt a little better at the idea. "I would suggest that the both of you rest up," he said before the phone line went dead on the other end.

Van hung up the phone in deep thought. He just decided to shake all of those thoughts of things going badly out of his head before he headed back to his and Fiona's room. He looked at her for a few moments before crawling back into bed with her and took her into his arms. He closed his eyes and was soon fast asleep, just like she was. He figured he'd just tell her in the morning so that she could get a peaceful nights rest, which was something she'd been lacking these past few days.

* * *

Fiona's reaction was just like Van's when she was told about the verdict already being made. She expected it to be several more days before a verdict would be made. "How come you didn't tell me about this yesterday?" she asked while putting on her best suit.

"Would you have been able to sleep with the idea that such a big decision was going to be made today?" he asked her back which she just shook her head. "You were exhausted yesterday. You needed some rest and I wasn't going to ruin it. I didn't want you to pass out like you did in the courtroom again since you haven't been sleeping very well," he reasoned and she just nodded her head.

Van noticed how nervous Fiona looked and walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Just relax. No matter what the verdict, I won't let him come anywhere near you afterwards," he said smiled when her body tension eased up. He knew she was still nervous but he managed to take most of it away with just those few words.

Van took Fiona's hand and they walked out to the car and then drove to the courthouse. The normal crowd of reporters were there because Ethan was a well known businessman and that this verdict could cause him to lose everything.

The two of them just ignored anyone trying to get an interview and walked into the courtroom. Van's family was behind them and did the same but they weren't the ones that the press really wanted to talk to.

Karl was waiting for them just inside the doors. He didn't say a word as he turned and led them towards the courtroom. They just followed behind him quietly and took their seats once they were inside.

Fiona immediately took notice that Ethan and his lawyer were there and both weren't looking as confident as they usually were. She silent was glad that he was finally starting to worry about the possibly spend the next several years in a prison. She didn't want him to do this again to her or anyone else.

Van leaned forwards over the railing so he could speak with Karl. "Exactly how many charges does he have going against him?" Van asked making sure that it was loud enough for Ethan to hear. He wanted to make the guy really start worrying.

"Attempted rape, sexual harassment, two counts assault and battery, one count assault, attempted murder, and a few other minor charges. I was wrong in my original estimate now that more charges have been brought up. I'd say he'd be going to jail for prison for somewhere around twenty to thirty years if convicted of all these charges," Karl explained and even Van was slightly shocked.

Van grinned and looked towards Ethan who looked really pale in that moment. 'That asshole deserves every bit of his punishment,' he thought glaring at the man who avoided any such contact with anyone.

The judge came out a few moments later and the jury came out a few moments after that and took their seats. No one could tell what it was that they were thinking about in that moment. It just made the people in the courtroom more anxious to hear what the verdict would.

A few words were said by the judge before she turned towards the jury. "Has the jury reached it's verdict?" she asked and the guy in charge said yes. "On the count of assault, how does the jury find the defendant?"

An older looking man stood up straight and looked towards the judge and then towards the rest of the courtroom. "We, the jury, find the defendant, Ethan James, guilty," he said in a serious voice.

Fiona let out the breath that she didn't know she'd been holding at that moment. She knew she couldn't count her chickens before they hatched. She'd just hoped that there would be enough o keep him as far away from her as long as possible.

The judge nodded and then continued. "One the first count of assault and battery, how do you find the defendant?" she asked returning her attention back to the man standing in the jury stand.

The guy took a deep breath before continuing. "We, the jury, find the defendant, Ethan James, Guilty," he said and there was a murmur that erupted throughout the courtroom. Just about everyone knew what was going to happen next.

The judge nodded and looked at a piece of paper in her hand. "On the second count of assault and battery, how do you find the defendant?" she asked taking a look towards Ethan and then towards the jury.

The man's eyes appeared to be blank in those moments making it hard for anyone to easily predict what it was that he was going to say. Everyone had a guess though. "We, the jury, find the defendant, Ethan James, guilty," he said and a bigger murmur went out.

Fiona was feeling more and more at ease as the proceeding went on. She knew that with just those charges that she wouldn't have to worry about Ethan for a long time. She wondered just how much her luck would hold out though.

The judge nodded and appeared to be thinking about something before turning back to the jury once again. "On the count of attempted rape, how do you find the defendant?" she questioned without emotion.

The juryman looked towards Ethan who was shaking in rage at that moment before looking towards Fiona who was finding the desk really interesting. "We, the jury, find the defendant, Ethan James, guilty," he said without emotions.

Van watched on with a relieved sigh that he was getting exactly what he deserved. He knew that there was only one big charge left and he had a pretty good idea just what it was going to be. 'Either way, he's going away for a long time,' he thought with a glare towards Ethan for hurting the one he loved most.

When asked about the final charge of attempted murder, the juryman took a deep breath. "We, the jury, find the defendant, Ethan James, guilty," he said and Fiona let out another breath of air which shed been doing after each verdict was made.

Ethan stood up quickly and couldn't believe his ears as he was found guilty of all the smaller charges as well. 'This can't be! How dare she!' he thought turning his anger towards Fiona. "You stupid bitch!" he yelled and lunged out at her.

Van was once again quick to react and jumped over the divider and into Ethan's path. He punched Ethan in the face really hard and when that didn't stop Ethan, he kneeled the guy in the gut which made him crouch over in pain and lack of breath while the judge called for order in the court.

Ethan was stood up and handcuffed. The judge just watched. "The sentence for Mr. James will be twenty to twenty-five years in prison with parole possible in fifteen on good behavior," she said over the noisy crowd.

Fiona just couldn't believe that it was over and that they had won it all. She was happy and she threw herself into Van's arms and kissed him passionately which he was more than happy to reciprocate. "We won!" she said in his embrace.

Van smiled down at her and kissed the top of her head. "Yeah, now you won't have to worry about him coming after you again. Now we can get to the real planning for the wedding as well," he said which just made her even happier. He hoped from now on that she'd always be able to smile like that from now on.

Karin stood off to the side watching the scene. Her face seemed to be lost in a memory from long ago. 'Every time I look at you I continue to see it. I'm surprised that neither of you have realized the truth about Fiona's birth quite yet,' she thought with a sad smile as another memory assaulted her.

Feeling a hand on her shoulder, she turned and saw her husband giving her a sympathetic look. "I just don't think that I can keep it a secret anymore. I'm ruining one of the best memories I have because of this stupid lie!" she said as slight tears came to her eyes.

Dan led her out of the courtroom so that the two of them could be alone. "Please just wait a little longer. George's lie went farther than he meant for it to go. Just give it time. I'm certain that she'll know the truth before long," he said wishing his wife would just cheer up.

Karin didn't say anything. She just stared towards the ground with emotionless eyes. "This has got to be the stupidest thing he ever did! If he wasn't dead then I'd kill him myself right now," she said finding the idea rather amusing.

Dan rolled his eyes at his wife's antics. "You sure know how to change your mood quickly," he muttered only to receive a glare from Karin. "You've lasted a few years, a few more weeks is all that you'll need to wait."

* * *

Fiona sat on a swing in a park that was near the courthouse. She decided to go for a walk by herself for a little to clear her head of all the thoughts that had been plaguing her since the trial had begun.

She watched as many people walked by. Couples, families, and many others walked by. She watched the families the most. She kept dreaming of having one of her own with Van as the father of her children. 'In a few weeks, I'll be marrying Van and then that could happen,' she thought with a smile on her face.

"What are you doing?" Moonbay asked walking over and took the swing that was next to Fiona. "Van was looking for you. You just suddenly took off without a word," she said swinging back and forth a little.

"Just trying to clear my head. This trial has been so stressful that I haven't been able to do that. Sometimes I just need to get away from everyone, even Van, and just be by myself," Fiona said with a small smile. She loved Van with all her heart but she did like to be alone at times as well.

Fiona watched as a mother walked by carrying her child in her arms. She sometimes envied children like that for having a mother that actually cared for them. She was stuck with a mother that didn't love or even care for her. "I'll never talk to her again!" Fiona said in an angry tone.

Moonbay didn't even need to ask to know who the woman Fiona was talking about was. "Screw her! She abandoned you when you were a baby and she abandoned you again when you needed family the most!" she said finding the thought of the woman to be enough to make her blood boil.

"I'm never going to be like her! When I have children, I'm going to love them like a mother should! She's nothing but a bad memory to me now. As far as I'm concerned, I have no mother!" Fiona said with bitterness laced into ever.

"That's the spirit!" Moonbay said deciding to look on the brighter side of the situation. "Come on Fiona. I'm sure Van's worried sick about you," Moonbay said standing up and Fiona did the same shortly afterwards.

The two of them walked in silence back to the courthouse. On the way, Fiona noticed a shop and stopped to look at the display in the window. There was a beautiful wedding dress. She could just imagine what hers would look like when she wore it on her wedding day to Van.

"It's beautiful," Moonbay said looking at the dress as well. "I'd say it would suit you perfectly. Van probably won't be able to keep his hands off of you if he saw you in it," she said before turning and started to walk the rest of the way to the courthouse.

Fiona stayed still and continued to look. It wasn't the exact one she wanted to get since she had yet to decide. It was the idea of being able to wear such a beautiful type of dress on that perfect day she'd be marrying Van on.

She just smiled and turned and continued to walk back to the courthouse. When she got there she saw Van waiting for her. He looked worried but smiled when he saw her. He never said anything to her about it. He just walked over to her and threw his arm around her shoulder before leading her towards the car.


	27. truthful encounter

To say that Fiona was frustrated would be an understatement. They had a date but that was just all. She had to admit that it was sort of her fault for being kind of picky but it didn't stop her from being frustrated at her indecisiveness.

Watching Fiona moving all over the place was rather entertaining in Karen's opinion. "You just need to relax Fiona. Try not to do everything yourself either. We're all here to help you," she said walking over towards Fiona and took a seat on the couch.

"I know but… you see… I just want everything to be perfect," Fiona said before thinking to herself how rude it sounded. "I-I'm not saying it won't be if you help but!" Fiona yelled in a bit of a panic but was caught off by the sounds of Karen laughing. "Did I say something funny?" she couldn't help but ask.

"That's not it," Karen said calming down her laughter. "I used to have a friend that was just like you before she got married. Even I was just like you before I got married. It just brought back a few funny memories of how much the two of us got so worked up over the whole ordeal," she said managing to calm down her laughter.

Fiona couldn't help but imagine what Karen would look like in her position. It was rather an amusing thought of the already rather eccentric woman freaking out over getting married. In the end she couldn't help but laugh as well.

"The only advice I can give you is not to be afraid to ask for help. You're going to have a mental breakdown at the rate you're going. Now, what are you trying to look for?" she asked leaning over and taking a look at the magazine in Fiona's hands.

"I was just looking at places for the catering. Not to mention we still haven't found a place to hold the wedding at. Then there's the dress; I just can't find the perfect one," Fiona said with a pout.

A look of deep pondering came over Karen's face. "If you'd like I'll look into catering for you. You know I'm good with this sort of things. Plus it will lighten the load for you," she suggested with a bright smile on her face.

Fiona couldn't help but think that it might be a good idea. She knew her future mother in law wouldn't fail to please whoever she's trying to help. "I guess that could work. Thanks," she said with a bit of relief in her voice.

"It's no problem. I've helped with plenty of weddings as well as worked on my own. There's no better help than someone with experience," she said before turning and walking out of the room and towards the kitchen where she was cooking their lunch like she usually did.

Sighing in exhaustion, Fiona fell down and laid upon the couch. It'd been barely a week since the trial ended. Van and her decided to leave on a vacation since they had to deal with both the trial and work at the same time. It left them both exhausted so they decided to head back with Van's family for a little while.

Fiona felt like she would've been more excited about it if it wasn't for the fact that her mother was just a few miles from there. She just hoped that she wouldn't have to see the woman so that she wouldn't be inclined to do something bad to her.

It was peaceful around there though. That was the one thing that made her not have to worry about that woman. Here she could get to planning her wedding without having to worry about a lot of interruptions.

"I can't help but wonder why he left me with her," Fiona said out loud as Karen came walking into the room. "He had such good friends like you and yet he sent me to that woman," she said not willing to ever call her mom or by her name ever again.

"He always was a man of mystery. I met him when I was five. We were friends for a good twenty years before he left. I considered him a brother that I never had. If I was to guess it was because he had high hopes for you and Van, same as me. He probably didn't want the two of you to grow up considering each other family," she said with a bright smile crossing her face.

Fiona couldn't help but think it was a rather cruel way to set her up with Van. His idea did do some good though. She did get together with Van like he wanted. She guessed she couldn't help but agree with that way of thinking. She couldn't help but think about how her life would've ended up if she thought of Van as family instead of as a lover. She couldn't help but think about how sad her life would've been.

"I guess I understand but it still made my life a lot more difficult than I could handle. Wasn't there anyone else friendlier that he could've sent me to? Why did it have to be her?" Fiona asked growing frustrated at the never-ending questions.

Sad eyes turned and looked at the floor. "He didn't have that many friends Fiona. Dan and I were the only ones he was really close to," she said although even Fiona could tell that she was holding herself back from saying something else.

"Did he have any family or anything?" Fiona asked realizing just how little she actually knew about her father. She'd never really heard him talk about his past to her when she was younger.

"He was an only child and his parents abandoned him when he was young so he was raised by his grandma, your great grandmother Amelia. But she was getting old and ended up dying when he was twenty. He lived by himself after that until he met Claire," she explained but didn't like the saddened look that crossed Fiona's face. "He had us though and he said that was all he really needed to be happy," she said hoping it would cheer Fiona up again.

Suddenly, Fiona seemed to have a thought that came to her out of nowhere. "Wait a minute, you said that you and Dan were the only ones he was really close to but wasn't there wasn't there another friend? I remember you mentioning it to me when you talked about what happened to you when you were young," she said also remembering that woman in the tape that was dancing with her father.

Karin's face seemed to pale a few shades. "Um… uh… I think lunch's ready," she said before rushing back into the kitchen. It was clear that she was avoiding that question at all costs.

Once in the kitchen, she closed the door and leaned against it as she took a deep breath. 'This lie is going way too far,' she thought as she stood up straight and headed towards the stove. She knew Fiona wouldn't push the subject if she knew that someone wasn't comfortable talking about it.

* * *

Flipping through the channels to the TV, Van almost didn't notice when Fiona came walking into the room until a gentle hand was placed upon his shoulder. He turned his head and looked into the crimson eyes that he loved so much. "Is something the matter Fiona?" he asked taking her hand in his and pulling her onto his lap. 

"Nothing. I was just doing some thinking," Fiona said resting her head on Van's shoulder. "Hey Van, do you remember that other woman in that second tape, the one dancing with my father? Do you know who she is?" she asked hoping her might have some idea.

Van thought it over for a few minutes before it came to him. "No idea. I'm pretty sure I'd remember her if she was close to my parents. Why do you ask?" he asked looking into her crimson eyes.

"I was asking your mom about why I was given to Claire and not another friend of his. When I brought her up your mom got really jumpy and made a dash for the kitchen. I just know there's something going on," Fiona said relaxing into his embrace. The one place she'd like to remain for the rest of her life.

"Now that is very odd," Van said finding this new bit of information he was getting very interesting. Usually his mother was very eager to talk about things. Sometimes Van was under the impression that she didn't know when to stop talking. So to have her avoid it was strange.

It was silent between them for a while after that. Both ended up just forgetting all about what was going on with Van's mother. Instead they just relaxed and enjoyed being in each other's arms.

Finally breaking the silence between them, Van finally asked her something. "So what are your plans for the rest of the day Fiona?" he asked hoping she'd say nothing because he just wanted to be able to take her out on the town for the night. They haven't been able to just get out like that in a while with how busy they were with the trial and their work.

"Actually I was planning to maybe go see my dad. I haven't gone there since our vacation a few months ago. I just thought it would be nice to do," she said with her eyes closed and her head resting upon his shoulder. "Do you mind taking me Van?" she asked giving him her brightest smile.

"I don't see a problem with that," Van said reluctantly letting go of his fiancée in order to stand up. "I may not really know him but he is still going to be my father-in-law," he said which brought a bright smile to Fiona's face as she stood up as well. "Go get ready and I'll meet you out at the car," he said which she nodded her head enthusiastically to before she ran up the stairs and towards her room as quickly as she could.

Walking towards the door, Van stopped when he saw his father coming down the stairs. "The two of you heading out?" he asked looking over some papers that were in his hands. He only looked up for a brief second before looking back at Van.

Bending down to put on his shoes, Van nodded his head. "Yeah, Fiona said that she wanted to go see her father and asked if I could go with her. We were just about to head out. Why? Did you need something?" Van asked looking away from his shoes and towards his father.

"Well I didn't but I do now," he said confusing Van quite a bit. "Since you're heading down that way I was wondering if you could do me a favor. It shouldn't take up much of your time if you're wondering that," he explained and Van just nodded his head. "I need you to pick up some important documents for me. They're rather important so I would be grateful if you did this for me," he said looking rather pleading.

Looking at his father for a few seconds, Van finally nodded his head. "I don't think it will be much of a problem. Just tell me what I have to get and where," Van said and his father nodded before leaving and coming back with a pen and some paper.

Dan started to write several things onto the paper and it was a few minutes before he finally finished. "Here, that should be all the information that you'll need," he said handing the paper. "I really appreciate this Van," he said turning to walk in a different direction.

Looking down at the paper, Van saw the name of the place he needed to go but had no idea where it was. 'Maybe Fiona knows since she used to live there,' he thought before hearing the sound of footsteps coming down the stair.

Turning his head, Van smiled when he saw his beautiful bride-to-be coming down the stairs. "You look as beautiful as ever Fiona," he said taking her hand. He then pulled her into his chest and laid a passionate kiss to her lips.

By the time that they broke apart, Fiona was rather flushed at the action. "I only went to go get changed but I like the greeting anyways," she said with a slight laugh before noticing the thing in Van's hand. "What's that?" she asked pointing towards it.

"My father asked me to pick something up for him," he said showing her what was on the paper. "Unfortunately I have no idea where the place is. All I know is that it's in your old hometown. You wouldn't happen to know would you?" he asked as she studied it for a few seconds.

Fiona finally nodded her head when she saw the name of the place. "I know where the place is. My father used to go there a lot and sometimes I ended up being dragged along. If I remember right it was a place that had to do with the law. Now that I think about it, the name of the place is that which is run by the Shubaltz family."

Not realizing this, Van looked at the paper again and then realized that she was right. "I wonder why I didn't notice that before," he said before shrugging it off. "Oh well. Come on Fiona. If we leave now we can get back before night," he said and she nodded as the two of them stepped out of the house and went to his car.

The drive there was relatively silent. Each of them said very few words. Van knew that Fiona still had a lot on her mind especially since they were going to see her father's grave.

Taking one hand off of the wheel, Van reached over and took Fiona's hand with it. She turned her head to look at him and she gave him a smile before gently squeezing his hand. He could tell that she was thankful for the comfort because of how sad she was at that moment.

'Even after all this time it is still so painful to her to think that her father is still dead. I don't know what I'd do if I lost either of my parents,' Van thought doing the same as Fiona by giving her hand a squeeze.

'Her father's dead and her mother's a bitch who hates Fiona. She has no real mother and father right now. My parents act like parents to her but they aren't actually blood related,' he thought giving her a sympathetic smile.

It was silent after that until they finally reached the small town. Van just drove straight to the graveyard making only a quick stop to buy some flowers before he drove the rest of the way there.

The two of them stepped out of the car and slowly walked around the many different graves until they came upon the one holding the name George Lynette upon it surface. The two of them placed the flowers upon the tombstone.

Silently kneeling before the grave, Fiona let a few tears escape her eyes. "You said that your one dream was to see me grow up and get married to the man that I loved the most. It's coming true but you won't be able to see it like you wanted to," she said as her hands plucked at some grass beneath her.

Standing back, Van could only watch as he saw how sad she looked. 'She wasn't nearly this bad last time. I guess all the talks about the past during the trial were just really tough on her and brought up a lot of memories. She seemed happy at the thought of coming her but I guess the thought and actually being here are completely different,' he thought with a frown for the pain his fiancée was going through.

Looking around, Van couldn't help but take notice of the graves that were around the two of them. They were all of people that he didn't know but there were two graves that had the name Lynette on them as well. 'Must be family of him and Fiona. Amelia and Emily? Never heard of them before,' he thought before turning his head back towards Fiona.

"Do you want to be alone Fiona? I can always go and do my business and come back for you later if you want," he suggested figuring that it might be good for her to be alone and talk to her father with him listening in.

Looking up at him, Fiona couldn't help but smile. "Can I?" she asked him softly and he just nodded his head. She was actually grateful to have some time alone with her father. "Thank you Van," she whispered turning back towards the grave.

Nodding, Van turned around and started to walk back to the car. He took one last look at Fiona. "I shouldn't be too long so I'll be back soon," he told her and she silently nodded not taking her eyes off the grave.

Having been told where it was already, Van knew where it was that he had to go from her to pick up what his father wanted. He knew Fiona wanted that time alone. That was why he suggested it. The two of them really didn't have any need for words to know what the other was thinking.

It only took him about a minute or two before he got there. Stepping out of the car, he walked into the building and towards a desk. "Excuse me, I was sent her to pick up something for Dan Flyheight," Van explained to the man sitting on the other side of the desk.

"Ah! You must be Van! Dan told us you'd be coming in his place," the man said in a friendly manner as he stood up and started to walk. "Come, we need to get a few things in order first but it shouldn't take too long," he said before noticing that Van was alone. "Wasn't Miss. Lynette supposed to be with you?" he asked remembering Fiona from a few dealings he had with her father.

"She's visiting her father's grave," Van explained and the man nodded his head. "Can we please just get this over and done with?" Van asked as politely as he could. He wanted to get back to Fiona as soon as he could.

"Ok, ok. You're as impatient as your father. This has to deal with you and Miss. Lynette so I thought it would be a good idea to have her here. I guess your father will just have to go over it with you two," he said heading towards a back room of the place.

Van was a bit confused as to what he meant. "Me and Fiona? What does this have to do with the two of us?" he couldn't help but ask as they walked into a back office and both of them took a seat across from each other.

"George Lynette left a large sum of money and all of his belongings to his daughter in the event of his death. There were several requirements that she needed in order to get this such as she needed to get married. What your father wanted was just some paperwork regarding it since the wedding is approaching," the man explained rummaging through a drawer looking for something.

Van had heard about this fortune of Fiona's but never really thought about it until then. It didn't matter to him if she was broke just as long as she was with him. It didn't matter because he knew that he could take care of her for the rest of her life.

"However…" the man started to say once again. "Most of these documents are meant for your father's eyes only so I must ask that you not look at what's inside," he said pulling out a rather large envelope that looked like it was filled to capacity with whatever was inside.

Van couldn't help but admit that the man's words made him very curious. He sighed knowing that he wouldn't know unless it was his father told him. So instead of saying anything he just reached for the envelope and took it into his hands.

"Good, now there are still a few things that I need you to do before you leave," he said standing up. "Don't worry, it shouldn't take long since it's just simple paperwork," he said and Van just nodded as a few papers were put in front of him.

A few minutes later Van was done and rubbing his sore hand. "There, that should just about do it," he said standing up and shaking Van's hand before they started to walk to the door. "By the way, congratulations on your engagement to Fiona. I can tell that you're a good person and that's something that she needs. The poor girl has been through so much in her life with what happened to her parents," he said as they walked back to the main area.

"I think it's actually for Fiona that her parents separated," Van said and the man looked at him a little confused. "She wouldn't be the sweet person she is if she grew up with that old hag Claire," Van said with a chuckle.

The man looked like he wanted to say something but the two were interrupted by what appeared to be yelling. Van almost immediately recognized the voice and groaned as they made their way to see what was going.

When they got there Van's suspicions were confirmed when he saw Claire there screaming at a poor elderly lady sitting behind a desk. 'Is she stalking us?' he couldn't help but ask himself as the man left his side to approach the lady. "You just never stop yelling, do you old lady?" Van asked with a smirk.

Furious eyes turned towards Van. "What the hell do you want Flyheight! This doesn't concern you!" she yelled before noticing the thing in his hands. She almost immediately knew what it was that he was holding. "Hand that over! This is between Me, George, and that brat Fiona! Your family shouldn't butt in like usual!" she yelled at Van looking angrier than ever.

Holding up the envelope, Van couldn't help but put a funny grin on his face. 'Time to go back to my favorite pastime, taunting Claire,' he thought with amusement. "You want this?" he asked feeling like laughing. "Tough luck! It's going to my father!" he said loving how he could rub it in her face.

"Ms. Claire! You know fully well that you have no control over Fiona's inheritance! That was all put within the Flyheight's control since the reading of the will!" the man that Van had been talking to only a few minutes before said in a loud voice trying to show power to stop her. Yet one glare from the woman almost sent him cowering.

"That brat and her father don't deserve anything they have! I do!" she continued to scream at them. "George was nothing but a good for nothing bastard! Always going around behind my back while we were married!" she said in a mocking voice. "Then he up and leaves with that bitch leaving me with nothing! I bet that brat will be just like him!" she screamed as loud as she could.

Van himself was starting to feel nervous with her like this but her words struck him pretty hard. "Fiona would never do such a thing!" he found himself growling out as he stared at her with a heated glare.

To Van's surprise she just laughed. "Oh that's a good one! She cheated on Ethan, what's to stop her from cheating on you?" she managed to get out through her laughter. "The truth Flyheight is that she's a good for nothing little brat like her father. She should have never been brought into this world. She was a mistake, one that cost me everything!"

Van wanted nothing more than to hit the woman. 'Why do I have to be a gentleman that never hits ladies at a time like this? ' he thought but that didn't stop his hand from clenching into a fist and shaking in anger at his side.

Unknown to any of the people in the room, another person had walked in just a few moments before these words were said. "So I'm just a mistake? I didn't deserve to exist?" Fiona asked since she decided to just walk down here to meet Van. It would've given her some time to clear her head.

Turning around quickly, Van stared at Fiona with wide eyes. "Fiona," was all that he could managed to whisper at the sight of her. To him, she looked so pale and hurt. This made his heart clench painfully in his chest. Her head was facing towards the ground and her body shook with what he presumed to be suppressed sobs.

Much to everyone's surprise, it started to sound like Fiona was laughing. Van knew better though. Fiona's laughter didn't have any emotion to it. He could almost feel the pain that was coming out through it.

Looking up, Van finally saw the few tears that were running down her face. "That's not true Fiona!" he finally managed to get out. "You deserve to exist much more than her!" he said wanting to take away the pain that he was seeing.

Claire just smirked glad that Fiona was there to hear that. "Of course you don't deserve to exist! You're a cheating whore just like your cheating father! Because of you I lost everything and now I would just love to see you lose everything as well!" she said with a smirk.

That really sent over the edge, he didn't care about his honor, he wanted to hit that woman so badly. However, he was stopped from doing this when he saw Fiona take a few steps forward. Her steps seemed heavy as she slowly made her way across the room towards Claire.

Looking at the approaching Fiona, Claire only smirked again. "What do have something you want to say?" she asked figuring that Fiona wouldn't do anything. That was the way got away with everything before since Fiona wanted her acceptance so badly.

Coming to a stop in front of the woman Fiona had tried to win respect from for years, Fiona just stood there for several seconds. Before anyone could react, Fiona's hand came up and she smacked Claire as hard as she could.

Van was just plain shocked to see Fiona do that but he had to admit that it was a nice thing to see. 'Way to go Fiona!' he thought feeling like laughing at the look of pure shock that was on plastered onto Claire's face. It was clear she didn't expect that to happen.

"You know what? I'm actually relieved to hear how you really feel about me," Fiona said looking up at the woman with her eyes filled with anger. "But I will never let you talk lies like that about my father. He was a good man and would never do that!" she yelled at the woman no longer caring what Claire thought of her.

Pulling herself together after the shock, Claire started to laugh. "You can deny it all you want but it doesn't change anything!" she said turning and walking out of the building still laughing and forgetting about the reason she was there in the first place.

Taking a few steps towards Fiona, Van was knocked back a step or two when she threw herself into his chest. He didn't say anything as his arms wrapped around Fiona keeping her held tightly to him. "Good job standing up to her like that," he whispered to her.

Fiona released herself and took a few steps back. Much to Van's surprise she was smiling though he saw that there was confusion behind those eyes and he couldn't blame her. He too was confused as to what was really going on between Claire and Fiona's father.

"She was lying, right?" Fiona couldn't help but ask. Van just nodded his head quickly and that just made her smile. "What am I saying? Of course she was lying. She's just like Ethan to accuse people like that. No wonder they got along so well," she said as a laugh escaped her throat.

"You know not to listen to her Fiona. Let's head back now," he said wrapping his arm around her waist. He then turned towards the others. "Sorry for all the commotion," he apologized but the man he was talking to just waved it off as the two of them walked out of the building and towards Van's car.

The ride home, like the ride there was driven in silence. Yet it was rather comfortable between the two of them. Van was surprised because Fiona didn't the least but distressed about what she had just seen and heard.

Taking one of his hands off the wheel, Van reached over and took Fiona's hand in his own and gave it a comforting squeeze. He saw her look at him through the side of his eyes and could just make out the smile that she gave him as she too gave his hand a squeeze.

About forty-five minutes to an hour later, the two of them finally got back to the house. They got out of the car and stretched before heading into the house hand in hand. The first thing they noticed was that the place sounded pretty much empty.

"I wonder where everyone is," Fiona muttered listening for any sounds of anyone. She swore that you could hear a pin drop should one fall. She knew that Maria and Michael had gone to visits his father's parents but she had no idea about what happened to Van's parents. Usually you'd hear Karin bustling around in the kitchen starting dinner about this time.

"Who knows?" was Van's simple reply. He did admit he was curious but only because he had something serious to talk to his parents about. He had a suspicion about something and he wasn't sure if he was hoping he was wrong about it or right about it. all he knew was that he needed to talk to his parents about it.

"I guess," Fiona replied before heading towards the stairs. "I'm going to take a nap. Can you call me down when dinner is ready?" she asked and then walked up the stairs when Van nodded his head.

Figuring it was the best place to look, Van headed towards his father's study. Van remembered that he looked busy earlier that day and figured that he was in there trying to finish his work.

Stepping up to the door, Van didn't even hesitate before he barged into the room not caring what his dad was doing at that moment. He had questions and he knew that his father had answers.

* * *

Van sat there staring out the window as the moon shone brightly down from the night sky. His parents had left a little while ago to go out since they haven't been able to do anything like that in a long time. 

Looking up at the lovely night sky was the only thing he could do to keep himself calm. He'd heard something, something that had left him confused and a bit scared. He heard something from his father that he had really not expected to hear.

Taking his eyes away from the night sky, he looked down at Fiona who was sleeping peacefully on the bed next to where he was sitting. She just looked so peaceful as if she didn't have a care in the world.

Reaching a hand out, Van brushed a few stray strands of hair out of her face. 'How could I not have seen it before? It was always before my eyes and yet I never took notice of it,' he thought leaning down to lay a light kiss upon Fiona's forehead.

'You went through much more than I could've imagined. Most of it you aren't even aware of,' he thought carefully pulling his hand away so as not to wake her. Yet he wanted her to wake up. He needed reassurance that nothing had changed by learning this rather startling news.

Without realizing it, crimson eyes opened and stared at Van. "Van?" she questioned sitting up in bed while rubbing her eyes. Looking towards the clock, she saw that it was only about nine at night. "I overslept!" she said in surprise. "What about dinner?" she asked sitting up and throwing the covers off of her.

"My parents went out for the night so we'll have to make our own," Van replied staring deep into the crimson eyes that he loved so much. He only saw how she was becoming confused with how intensely he was staring at her.

The intensity in Van's eyes was overwhelming to Fiona. There was something deep behind them that Fiona just couldn't place. "Is something wrong Van?" she asked standing up and taking a few steps towards him. "You look like you have a lot on your mind. Is there anything that you want to talk about?" Fiona asked reaching up and caressing his cheek.

Van just couldn't seem to find the words. What he'd heard was something serious yet he couldn't even say anything about it to her. Not only was he sworn to secrecy but he also just couldn't seem to find any words needed to mention anything like that.

When Van didn't answer, Fiona grew a bit concerned. "Listen, I'm kinda hungry. I'm going to get something to eat. I can tell something is wrong so can we please talk about it when I come back?" she asked and he just nodded his head almost absentmindedly. She then just turned around and walked out of the room leaving Van to his thoughts.

It was several minutes before Fiona finally came back into the room. "Now, what's wrong Van?" she asked as she walked towards him. She was just too hungry before then to talk about it but now she was full and ready. Plus there was something else about the way he looked at her. It almost made her nervous about what she wanted to know. 'Maybe I intentionally wanted to wait to know,' she thought with a slight frown.

Before Fiona could react, Van suddenly grabbed a hold of her and crashed his lips onto her own. Fiona was very surprised but found herself quickly melting into his arms before she came back to her senses and pulled back slightly. "What's gotten into you?" she asked with a slight laugh to her voice.

Instead of answering her, Van kissed her lips once again, then kissed her chin, and then moved onto her neck. He heard her moan at the pleasure he was giving her. He was willing to bet that she completely forgot about the question she'd been asking him.

* * *

Rolling to the side of her, Van held her in his arms closely as he felt her relaxing against his chest. He felt like besides their first time that that had to be the best they had ever had. Yet nothing could beat their first time together as she laid her claim once again on his heart and body just like he laid his claim on hers. 

Fiona's eyes slowly closed as she relaxed to the sound of his heartbeat since her head rested right over his heart. It was long before she had fallen asleep with Van whispering sweet nothings into her ears while combing his fingers through her hair.

Looking at her peaceful face, Van really couldn't help but wonder how he had never seen it before. He should've been able to notice it before then yet he never did and was fooled by a lie the same as Fiona. He remembered what his father said pretty clearly just a few hours before.

Flashback

As Van suspected, Dan was in there going over some papers. Looking up, Dan saw his son barge into the room but knew he should've expected Van to do that. Van was much too impulsive like his mother. "I see you're back. Did you bring me what I wanted?" he asked and Van nodded before handing the papers he was given over to his father. "Thanks. This really helped me a lot because I was going over a few things dealing with your wedding to Fiona," he explained and Van nodded.

Taking a seat across from his father, Dan looked up and noticed that Van had yet to leave. "Is there anything else that you needed?" he asked before looking down and signing a few papers that were placed in front of him.

"Yeah," Van said examining a few things that were on the desk. "I want you to tell me exactly what happened between Claire and George," he said with his voice full of demand. He was tired of all the secrets and wanted some answers immediately.

Dan stiffened and the pen he was holding dropped from his hand. He then collected himself and looked at his only son. "I don't know what you mean Van," Dan said obviously trying to avoid the subject that was placed before him.

"Cut the crap," Van swore which he rarely did in front of his parents unless he was completely serious. "Claire's got a big mouth and now I want the answers that I know you have!" Van said a little angrier than he meant for it to be.

"I see," was all that Dan said figuring that it was bound to happen eventually. "Claire's does have a big mouth especially when she gets angry," he said standing up to walk towards a shelf and started to rummage through it. "If you don't mind my asking, what is it that she said to you? She does like to spew out nonsense at time," Dan said looking for something that only he knew of.

Watching his father intently, Van decided to just tell him about all that had been said. "I ran into her at the place you sent me to. She was yelling at an employee there when I first saw her," Van explained remembering it all too clearly.

"Must've been trying to get a hold of these papers. She'd do anything to make sure that Fiona could be denied her inheritance. She delayed the reading of the will for quite a while. When they finally got to it she was pissed that she wasn't left anything in the will and that everything went to Fiona except for some money that was given to us," he explained and Van nodded his head.

A thought suddenly came to Van that he found a bit confusing. "I thought you said that you wouldn't take any money from him. I know he was gone but you're the type to stick to their word," Van said looking at his father a bit confused.

"We never did before then but he never gave us a choice in the matter this way. It said that no matter what it was to be given to us with or without our approval," he said and Van couldn't help but laugh at this. "He'd always known that I wanted to open my own business and told me to use this to start it. That is how we were able to start the company in the first place," he explained and Van nodded again since he always did wonder how his father got the money needed to start such a successful business since before then they were rather poor with his dad going from job to job.

"Good history lesson and all but that wasn't what I was asking you," Van said and Dan gave him a nod silently telling him to continue. Van knew he was just trying to stall as long as possible and this made Van even more curious then before. "She started off with nonsense that Fiona was a mistake and didn't deserve to exist," he said before he was interrupted by his father.

"Fiona wasn't exactly planned. Claire's exactly the same as Tiffany. She'd rather keep a hold of George without any children so that she's the only one that everything could be given to if something were to happen to him. She tried to turn him against us several times to make sure of this but failed every time," he said hoping that might help Van's confusion a bit.

"We knew how she must've felt. She's hated Fiona from day one. It's what she said afterwards that had us angrier at her," he said and Dan nodded already figuring that he knew what it was already. "She said that George had an affair while they were married," Van said looking at his father intently. "Please tell me that was just a lie," Van demanded while his father was still looking for something.

Taking a deep breath, Dan continued to speak. "I want to tell you that it is a lie but either way it is true," he said not able to look at his son. "Let me guess, she's denying it being possible," Dan assumed finally finding what he was looking for. He saw Van nod. "He never could find a way to tell Fiona about that. She always had this idealized vision of her father and he was scared what she would think of him if she learned about it," he explained in a low tone. "He never regretted it though," he said looking sad about something.

"Is that what he was trying to tell her in the tapes?" Van asked remembering all that he had heard Fiona's father say. He was so hesitant to tell her some secret. Somehow he had the feeling that it wasn't just that.

"To some extent," Dan answered before placing something face-down on the desk in front of him and pushed it towards Van. "What he really had to say was much more serious than just that," he explained as Van reached out and took the thing his father placed in front of him.

Listing up what appeared to be a small piece of paper, Van soon realized that it was a photo. On it were two very young babies. One was him when he appeared to be only maybe as old as a year and a half. He looked at the other and his eyes widened. The other baby looked up into the paper with piercing crimson eyes and small tufts of blonde hair. This one was probably only seven or eight months old. There was no denying that this baby was Fiona.

"You and Fiona knew each other when you were only babies. Her father and her only left when she was about a year old. The two of you were really close to each other even as babies. We always felt that the two of you were meant for each other even since then. By that time he'd already left Claire and was really happy about it," he said taking the photo from Van's hands.

"He was abandoned as a child by his parents and was raised by his grandmother Amelia," he explained what he knew Karin had explained to Fiona earlier. "After she died he met Claire and had this wrong view of what she was like since she always acted like this good person who had the same interests as him up until they were married. That was when she showed her true colors. So she's basically exactly like Tiffany," he explained and Van growled at the mention of his ex-wife's name.

"Yeah, too much for my liking. Now please tell me what I really want to know. What really happened! Van asked growing more and more frustrated by the second. "You're just stalling instead of telling me the truth!"

Sighing, Dan placed another picture in front of Van. Van picked it up and studied it. Unlike last time, this one was of four older people. Two he recognized immediately as his parents and the third was Fiona's father. The fourth person was a woman that he didn't know. "What does this have to do with anything?" he couldn't help but ask.

"I know I'm not supposed to tell you or Fiona but I know you won't stop hounding me until I do. I just ask you not to tell Fiona about it. George wants to be the one to tell her because he felt it would make him feel ashamed to talk about it if she was told by anyone else," Dan said knowing it was the only reason that he didn't mention it to Fiona before then. He wanted to respect his friends wish even if what he did to Fiona because of it was stupid. "Van; do you realize what the full reason why Claire has such a grudge against Fiona?"

Looking up at his father, Van felt himself growing confused. "Didn't you tell me that it was because she didn't want there to be anyone else other than her that could inherit George's stuff?" Van asked not realizing that there was much more.

"While that is true, there is much more to it than that," Dan said before hesitating about what he was going to say next. "The truth is… the truth is that Fiona isn't Claire's daughter!" he said after hesitating a bit.

End Flashback

* * *

A little gift for the wait you had to endure. The secret is finally out. Even if i didn't directly state it, i think i left enough clue for everyone to figure out the truth without much problem. Another treat for all of you is the lemon. Since adultfanfiction. net is being an ass, i have put all the previous chapters and lemons on mediaminer. org. It's being a lot more cooperative than the other site. Be sure to review here and I'll do my best with getting the next chapter when i find time from my gundam seed fic. 


	28. parents

Stepping into a large room, the entire Flyheight family, as well as Fiona, Irvine, and Moonbay were all amazed at the sheer glamour of it. There were columns reaching up to the ceiling made of wood that were carved into a very beautiful design. The carpet was a pale white color. The place extended far in front of them and also high above them giving the place a feel of being much larger than it actually was.

"Wow!" Fiona said as her eyes shined at the sight of it. She walked a little ahead of everyone to try and get a better view of the place. She looked in every direction to take in every detail that it had to offer.

Walking up to on of the columns, she ran her hand over the intricately designed carvings on the white painted wood. She noticed that the carvings were that of flower design with many different types of flowers all over it. "Beautiful," she muttered at the sight of it.

Van couldn't help but smile at his fiancée's amazement. They were looking at places to hold the wedding up until then and it appeared that this was the one that they might use. He didn't really care where it was, as long as Fiona was happy with it and it was pretty clear that she really liked this place.

They were at a resort that was by an ocean. It was a little ways away from where they lived but he didn't really care. In fact, he liked it a little more knowing that it was away from any of the cities and in a place that was very peaceful.

They woke up really early and drove three to four hours to look at the place. They heard a lot of good things about it and it took in Fiona's interest right away. None of them minded the drive because they knew this was important as well as that it could let them get away from work for a day in Irvine's case.

Irvine and Moonbay came down a few days before then. Moonbay looked like she was ready to pop and Irvine looked all too glad to be able to get away from work for a little while to rest. He still had work that needed to be done while he was away but he found it to be a little more relaxing this way.

Moonbay looked like she was ready to explode. She was expected to give birth within the next two to three weeks. She was just glad that Van and Fiona had decided to wait a few weeks afterwards to have the wedding. 'At least I'll be able to use the dress again that way,' she thought with a smirk. She was just counting down the days until she had the baby.

Van and Fiona decided to wait a month after the trial until they really started to do any real planning. They were just looking things over before then just to get ideas. They knew that they'd need the rest after the trial with how hectic planning that wedding was bound to be for them. At least that's what Van was trying to do; Fiona was still trying to do as much as possible the first two weeks before Van dragged her off to convince her to settle down a little.

"So I take it you like it?" Dan asked Fiona who enthusiastically nodded her head. "What about you Van?" he asked turning to his son. He noticed that Van jumped a bit as if startled out of his thoughts and he couldn't help but sigh. He knew exactly what was troubling Van.

"It's a nice place," Van said honestly since he did get a good look at it before his mind started to wonder. He just found it so hard to concentrate on what he was doing lately because of everything that he learned.

Although he was relieved to know that Fiona wasn't related to Claire, there were still so many questions that were on his mind. His parents weren't giving him any details as to what happened and that was probably what was troubling him the most.

The information that he had was very minimal. He knew that the woman's name was Emily and that was it. His parents were refusing to tell him why or how it happened. He would at least settle for knowing who the hell she was but his parents wouldn't even talk about that.

What troubled him the most was that he couldn't even talk to Fiona about it. First off his parents took to appearing whenever he considered it. He'd tried but always found that he just couldn't say the words he wanted. 'What would I say? Oh Fiona, you have a completely different mother than you thought. That sounds stupid to me,' he thought trying not to growl at the annoyance that he was feeling over this stupid lie that Fiona's life had become based upon.

Looking towards his bride-to-be, Van gave her a smile hoping to not alert her to anything that was wrong. "So how about it Fiona? Do you want to have it here or would you rather look around some more?" he asked seeing how excited she looked.

"Definitely here," she said turning her excited crimson eyes towards Van. "This place is beautiful. It's the type of place that I've always dreamed of having my wedding in. What about you Van? If you don't like it then we can always keep looking," she said though there was a bit of a tone of disappointment in her voice.

"How can I possibly not like this place? If this is the place that you want, then this is the place that we'll have our wedding in," Van replied giving a happy smile while inside he was hating the look of disappointment in her eyes.

Fiona was worried when she saw that he hadn't shown much interest in the place. She loved this place and wanted their wedding to be here but didn't want it if Van wasn't interested in it. "It's ok if you don't want to Van, I really don't mind," she said although it was a lie.

Sighing, Van walked over to Fiona and placed his hands upon her shoulders. "I'm telling you that I like it Fiona. I just have a lot on my mind today that has nothing to do with this place. So don't worry about it. We'll have our wedding here since you want it," he said and was glad when he saw her face brighten up at his words.

Throwing her arms around Van, Fiona gave him a big hug before letting go to take another look around the place that was now decided to be the place they would have their wedding. 'I'm sure it will all be perfect,' she thought as she already started to picture what it will all look like in the end.

Without Van realizing it, his father snuck up behind him. "You really should stop thinking about it Van. It's obvious that it's just causing problems between you and Fiona," he said with a look of worry on his face. He was really starting to regret telling Van anything.

"It's just not that easy. It's just a lot to take in. You would probably act the same way to if you found out that a lot of what you heard about mom was a lie," he said looking towards Fiona wondering just what had happened back then.

Much to Van's surprise, Dan just laughed. "In case you haven't realized, we haven't lied about anything. We've just withheld the truth. Never once have we referred to Claire as Fiona's mother. George never did either. Claire just took on that title knowing we couldn't do anything because of our promise to George. We've always called her Claire, or in your mother case some rather colorful words," he said in a whisper so as not to let Fiona hear them.

Van couldn't help but laugh at the last part of his father's explanation. 'Now that I think about it, they never actually did,' he thought going over several occasions. "You may not have called her that but you didn't exactly stop her from parading around with that title to take advantage of Fiona. I'm sure that there's something you could've done!" he said in a hushed yell.

"Do you think we enjoyed hearing her say that? We've hated doing it but as Flyheight's we never go back on our promises, especially ones made to close friends. It's too late to change the past now Van and you need to realize that. George has a very specific place and time that he wants to tell Fiona these things. You just need to be patient. It won't be much longer," he said before walking back to his wife who was also examining the design of the place very closely.

A pair of arms wrapped around his waist. He wasn't even aware that anyone was behind him but he also knew it was Fiona. "Care to share your thoughts? I can tell you're keeping things to yourself," Fiona said resting her forehead into his back.

'Oh, besides the fact that you're being lied too?' he thought before turning towards her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He had no idea why he was still keeping this to himself. "Nothing's wrong Fiona," he lied pulling her as close to him as he could.

Maybe it was the idea of her being as distressed about this as he was but Van didn't want her to be like that. He wanted her to be happy and focusing solely on the wedding. He swore right then that he would just try to forget about it the best that he could if only to ensure the smile on her face for the time being.

'You're a horrible liar Van,' Fiona thought with a frown but figured that he had his reasons for not telling her. She just prayed that it wasn't anything bad. She hoped it wasn't anything that would take him away from her again. "Are you… having doubts… are you?" she couldn't help but ask in a worried tone.

Van damn near had a heart attack at her words. "What! Of course not! You have no idea how long I have waited for this to happen! There is nothing in this world that will keep me from marrying you Fiona," he said with the last part being soft. He had no wish for Fiona to ever doubt his attentions. "Our wedding will be perfect and our lives afterwards will be even more so," he said resting his chin on the top of her head and took in the smell of her hair. It smelt like some sort of fragrant flower. 'Probably because of the shampoo she likes to use.'

Fiona released the breath that she didn't know she'd been holding. This time she knew he hadn't been lying so it made her feel warm inside. "I'm sorry for assuming. I was just feeling a bit nervous. I don't know what made me feel so worried," she said relaxing in his embrace.

Van had a feeling that he knew, it probably had to do with his marriage to Tiffany and how badly it turned out. "Fiona, do you want to know something?" he asked and she just nodded her head. He took a deep breath as he tried to think of a way to put it. "The day that I got married to Tiffany, I had a wish that betrayed my actions. I kept wishing that the few years before then were nothing but a bad dream. That when I went out there, it would be you I was going to see coming down the isle, that it was you I was going to marry," he said pulling his head back to look into his eyes.

A smile appeared on Fiona's face at his words. She knew she should never have doubted him. He always loved her and this was proof of that. Even when he was getting married before he kept thinking about her. "I'm sorry. I'm just worried that something will go wrong and we won't be able to get married. I just can't imagine my life without you anymore. These last few months had shown that just about anything can happen," she said thinking of her attacks, Van's child scare, and all of the other things.

Van couldn't think of anything to say but he too was feeling the same fear as Fiona. "Don't worry; I know things are going to turn out fine in the end this time," he said and was glad when that brought a smile to her face once again. "Come on, let's catch up with the others," he said since the rest of the family had already left them behind without realizing it.

* * *

It was nearly midnight when they finally got back home. Everyone was exhausted after the long drive and the tour that took hours to finish. They all just wanted to curl up and sleep for the rest of the week. 

Van himself collapsed on the sofa almost immediately after getting into his family's home. "So exactly how much more is there to do? I'm completely exhausted!" he complained taking off his shoes to rub his feet.

"You should know Van, you went through this once before," his mother said immediately heading to the kitchen to make everyone a small snack since they didn't have much to eat for dinner.

Van groaned as he remembered back then. "In case you've forgotten she made sure that she made everything her way. I didn't get a choice in anything but my suit," he said and noticed his mother thinking before she nodded finally remembering just how disastrous things had been before the wedding.

"Well at least we got to have a break from her during that. She was so caught up in it that she didn't have time to annoy us," Dan said and everyone just nodded since they were glad with how stressed Tiffany was about it.

With eyes half closed, Van stared up at the ceiling and pondered over the wedding. "Just how much more is there to do? I never thought it would be this difficult when I'm actually helping," he said his voice laced with tiredness. He knew that he wasn't going to have any difficulty getting to sleep that night.

"Well I still have to look for a dress," Fiona replied and saw Van perk up at the thought. "Which you are seeing until the wedding," she said with a smile as she saw him pout at her words. "There's your tux as well. Then there's the bridesmaids dresses and the groomsmen's tuxes as well. We can get those while looking for our own though," she said going over a list of things in her head.

"You have to set up the reception arrange like where certain people will sit, what food will be eaten, and so on," she said and heard Van groan even more. "You need to make a list of who is invited to the wedding as well," she continued and this time got a groan from both Van and Fiona.

When Van really thought about it, he didn't have that many close friends. There was Irvine and Moonbay, Crougar, and Dr. D. He knew that businessmen were also going to be invited whether Van liked it or not. They'd want to see the wedding of the only son of Dan Flyheight and the only daughter of George Lynette since both were so well-known.

"Looks like it's only going to be a small wedding like we planned," Fiona said although she didn't have a problem with that. She's rather it be small than big with people that she didn't even know coming. "I don't have a problem with that though. Something with all those that are close to me would be fine," she said giving off a bright smile.

"Well it will be small family and friends wise but many other people will probably show up especially since the two of you are from well-known families," Dan put in making the two frown at the knowledge that they already have. "I'll see if I can keep that at a minimum for you," he continued making the two of them brighten up a bit in relief.

"I found a good place for catering since you said I could Fiona," Karin said making the two of them sigh in relief again that another obstacle was taken down. "We just need to know what the two of you want to have served at the reception. It's probably going to be much larger than the wedding though so we have to make sure we get enough food," she said looking to be in deep thought.

"Just more food than needed and I'll eat the rest," Van said finally turning his head away from the ceiling to look at the others. "Anyways, anymore information and my head is going to explode. Let's just save the rest of it for tomorrow," Van said standing up and started to walk to the stairs. "I'm tired and I'm sure the rest of you are as well," he said before disappearing.

Everyone was silent for a little while after that. They eventually started to disperse. Dan and Karin were about to head to there room before Fiona stopped them. "Um… can I talk to you for a second Dan?" Fiona asked a bit timidly as she looked towards the floor.

Looking at his future daughter in law, Dan nodded his head as his wife walked towards their room. "Is there something the matter Fiona?" he asked looking at the young woman curiously trying to find out if something was wrong.

"Well no… I just wanted to ask you a question," she said and Dan just nodded his head continuing to look at her curiously. "I always imagined that my dad would walk me down the aisle but since he's not here I was wondering if you'd be willing to do the honor," she said looking at him with hopeful eyes.

Giving Fiona a big smile, Dan nodded his head. "Of course, I'm sure that was what they would've wanted anyways," he said and saw Fiona's confused expression before he realized that he'd given out more information than he meant to. "You're like my daughter anyways so I see no problem with that," he said hoping to take her mind off what he'd just said.

Completely forgetting her confusion, Fiona jumped with joy as she wrapped the older man in a tight hug. "Thank you… dad," she said before scurrying up the stairs and towards the room Van and her were sharing.

Looking at her retreating figure, Dan couldn't help the smile that crossed his face. She really was like a second daughter to him and he was happy that she'd asked him to do that for her. "Any time… daughter," he said before following the direction his wife went to their room.

* * *

Walking into a beautiful dress store, Fiona's eyes widened at the selection of dresses that she had to look through for the one that she hoped would be perfect for her wedding dress. "Amazing!" Fiona said immediately running over to one of the many dresses situated around the large store. 

Chuckling a bit, Karin walked into the store a few moments after she did. "Chill out a bit Fiona. We have all day to look for the perfect one for you. And if we don't find it we'll just look in a different store," she said while she was reminiscing about the time she was in Fiona's shoes.

Looking in Fiona's direction, Karin couldn't help but laugh when she noticed that Fiona had barely listened to a word that she said as she was zooming from one dress to the next. "Well, at least she's enthusiastic about it," she mumbled to herself before turning to look at the other female in the group.

Moonbay had been walking rather slow that day. When all the rest were walking at a decent speed, she'd be at least ten feet behind. Neither of them could really understand what was up with her that day since she was usually ahead of everyone else whenever they went out.

"Are you alright Moonbay?" Karin asked and all she got as a response was a thumbs up from Moonbay. "Then why are you so slow today?" she asked as a smile crossed her face at the stubbornness that Moonbay always had.

"Tired I guess," Moonbay said without her regular spunk. "You would be too if you had a watermelon for a stomach as I do," she said trying to seem normal but everyone could tell that she was keeping something else from them.

"You should go and sit down then. There's not much you can do right now since we're not fitting you for your dress until after the baby is born," Karin continued and Moonbay just nodded her head and headed for someplace where she could just sit down for a little. "Now, where'd that girl disappear to?"

Meanwhile, Fiona was looking over a beautiful dress when she heard footsteps approaching her. "There's so many dresses that I don't know which to choose," she said assuming that it was probably Karin or Moonbay. "What do you think of this one?" she asked picking up one of the dresses and turned around to face them.

Surprise and then anger replaced her happiness when she saw that it was not Karin or Moonbay but in fact Tiffany that was standing before her. "You have a lot of nerve to show your face around us after what you pulled!" Fiona growled out in a tone that was so different from anything that she used before.

"I don't know what you mean," Tiffany replied in an arrogant voice as she pushed her silky brown hair over her shoulders. "I'm just curious as to what my Van is up to these days. So I flew all the way down here to get him to see reason. To make him see what a mistake it was to leave me," she said eyeing the dress in Fiona's hands with contempt.

"You don't deserve to know anything!" Fiona replied back with a glare that could kill if it was possible. The woman hurt Van far too much for Fiona not to feel this way. "Van is done with you! We are getting married soon and there's nothing you can do about it!" she yelled looking around for Karin and Moonbay.

"Do you honestly believe that? That's not what he was telling me a few nights ago if you know what I mean," she said knowing about how Van seemed distant and wasn't telling anyone why. She didn't know either and she didn't care. She just wanted to make Fiona sweat and start doubting her relationship with Van. She was planning to capitalize on that.

Fiona wasn't even the least bit surprised when she heard this. She knew Tiffany would do anything to separate Van and her. "You've hurt him more than anyone else. You played on his dreams and then smashed them to bits. There's no way that he'd go back to you after that. There's no way he'd go back to you even without that. If you honestly think I'm going to believe you then you're seriously wrong. I know Van has been distant lately but I know he has his reasons. I know he'll tell me in time and I will wait for that time. You can try to make me doubt him all you want. He's proven to me more times than I can count that he loves me more than anything!"

"If he loved you so much than why did he give it up and marry me?" she asked rubbing that fact in her face. "Why did he decide to have his first time with me? They do say that you always remember that," she continued but grew irritated at the melancholic look on Fiona's face.

"He never gave it up. He told me that he wished that I was the one that he got married to that day. It wasn't something he was feeling just now but that very day as well. The two of us have a bond. I know when he is lying and he knows when I'm lying. I know for a fact that he wasn't lying when he said that," Fiona replied with a soft smile on her face.

"You just don't seem to get it! It's always been about Van and me! You, little girl, are nothing but a third wheel. We have a little fight and he uses you to forget about it. Eventually he will realize his mistake and leave your sorry ass behind in the gutter where it belongs!" Tiffany said raising her voice a bit high.

Suddenly, someone grabbed the collar of Tiffany's shirt and threw her into the wall rather hard. When Fiona looked, it wasn't who she expected it to be. She expected Moonbay to do it because it was just part of her personality. Instead she saw a pissed off looking Karin. Fiona was surprised with the strength of this fifty-two year old woman.

What happened next surprised Fiona even more. "You bitch!" Karin screamed which was scary since you rarely ever hear her cuss. "You have a lot of nerve to come here like that thinking that everything would be fine between you and Van!" she yelled glaring at the younger woman as she tried to stand up.

It wasn't long after that before Moonbay and the store manager came running over as well since they were attracted to all of the noise the others were making. The manager came to a stop but Moonbay kept going and punched Tiffany right in the face. "That's for the cut you gave me several months ago," she said looking really pleased with herself.

Glaring at the three women, Tiffany stood up and wiped the bit of blood running down her mouth. "If you think this is over then you're seriously wrong!" she said before running out of the store hoping that what she did would have some effect.

"I'm worried that that isn't the last that we'll see of her," Karin whispered before turning to Fiona. "Don't worry about what she said Fiona," she said since she pretty much heard every word that Tiffany spoke since the woman talked far too loudly. "Van is distracted for a different reason. So don't worry about it. He just has a lot on his mind," she explained knowing that Tiffany somehow found out about Van's spacing and was trying to use it against Fiona.

"I know that. I told her that. She'd do anything to break us up and take Van for herself. I trust your son more than I trust her," she said and Karin gave her a bright smile. "I guess we need to get things sorted out with the owner," Fiona said noticing the woman standing patiently to the side waiting for some answers as to what just went on.

"I'll handle it. I know her well so I should be able to get everything sort out without too much trouble," she said and Fiona just nodded gratefully. She then walked over to the owner and attempted to explain things.

It was silent for a little while Karin was trying to sort things out with the store owner. "That felt good," Moonbay said with a smirk. Almost as soon as she said that, a pain passed through her body and she fell to her knees.

"Moonbay!" Fiona yelled rushing to her side. "Are you ok? Is it the baby?" Fiona asked with hope lacing through her voice. She really hoped that it was time. She'd been waiting for months to see the baby.

"Probably!" Moonbay said trying to stand on her own after the pain seemed to pass. "Or maybe I just got too worked up and got a cramp or something," she said wishing it was that because she wasn't sure if she was ready to have this kid.

Looking around for Karin in a panic, Fiona figured that she'd know what to do best since she had two children of her own. It was several minutes before she came into view. Fiona immediately ran up to her. "I think Moonbay's having her baby!" was the first thing to come out of Fiona's mouth.

"Oh great! Why now!" Karin said looking towards Moonbay. "Let's get her into the car. We'll call the hospital and Irvine from there," she said and Fiona nodded as they held support Moonbay who had another bout of pain. "How long has this been going on Moonbay?" she asked trying to figure out how much time they might have.

Moonbay heard her but she didn't say anything. Her mind was focused on trying to make the pain go away. When it finally did pass she looked at the older woman. "Since this morning but it hasn't been nearly as bad," she said as they exited the store.

"Either way it does look like it's time," she said helping Moonbay into the car as Fiona made the few calls that they needed. "Whether you like it or not, this baby is coming soon," she said as she jumped into the driver's seat as Fiona took her spot in the passenger's seat while trying to calm Irvine down over the phone.

* * *

Three guys came rushing into the hospital at full speed. They had been out looking at tuxes when Irvine's cell phone rang. Van could remember seeing confusion, then surprise, eagerness, and then panicked when the call came in. It took Irvine a good ten minutes after dragging them to the car before they found out what was going on. 

Van had to say that his first reaction was the same as Irvine's, surprise. He knew it would be soon but for some reason it still took him off guard. 'Or maybe that it was Irvine suddenly grabbing me by my shirt before I realized what was happening,' Van thought with a chuckle.

When they got to the waiting room, they found Fiona and Karin sitting down. Moonbay had already been taken in and they weren't allowed to follow since they weren't family.

Looking up, Fiona saw Van coming and stood up and ran into his arms. "They just took her in," she explained and Van nodded his head. "We couldn't go in but I'm sure Irvine will be able to," she said and Irvine just nodded as he ran through the doors to the left of him.

Walking over, Van took a seat in the waiting room chair and then pulled Fiona so that she sat on his lap. "So is this the real thing?" he asked as she rested her head on his shoulder and stared towards the doors waiting for something to happen.

"The doctors said that it was the real thing," Fiona said and Van nodded. "I wonder how long this is going to take. I don't know if I can wait," she said looking really eager to see the baby. She couldn't help it. She loved children but never really got to be around one very often.

"These things take time. So don't expect it to take a few minutes for it to be done," Karin said with a bright smile at the look on Fiona's face. It was obvious that the young woman was dreaming about the day that she'd be in Moonbay's place giving birth to Van's child.

"I know that," Fiona said looking really antsy. "It's just that I heard that they can go on for a really long time sometimes. I just hope that this isn't one of those times," she said anxiously while keeping her eyes on the door.

Noticing that his love wouldn't take her eyes off the door, Van stood up and placed Fiona on her feet before taking her hand. "We're going to go get something to eat," he said noticing that it was nearly one in the afternoon and neither of them had had much to eat with all the excitement that had been going on.

"Good idea, it will keep her from burning a hole through the door," Karin replied with a bit of humor to her voice. All this earned her with a playful glare from Fiona. "You might as well Fiona. Just staying here staring at the door isn't going to make the baby come out any faster," she said and Fiona just nodded her head as she followed Van towards the cafeteria.

Having spent a while in the hospital herself, Fiona knew what to expect of the food. She knew that there really wasn't much she could do though. She had no idea where the closest restaurant was and she didn't want to go too far away for fear of something happening while she was gone.

The two of them walked into the cafeteria and took a seat at one of the tables. Van immediately went off to get there food as Fiona just sat there with a big smile on her face at the thought of the baby being born.

"I know that smile," Van said upon returning holding some sodas and the food in his hands. Fiona was a bit surprised that he could carry that much. He set the food between them and then took his seat across from her. "You're thinking about when we'll have children," he stated resting his chin on his fist.

"Yeah. With the wedding in only three weeks, I can't help but think about our life after that," she said picturing what their children would look like in her head. No matter which way, she couldn't imagine more beautiful children.

At her words, a grin spread across Van's face. "You know, if you're that eager than maybe we could get started right now. I don't think anyone will notice it during the wedding," he said placing his hand over her own.

Fiona couldn't help but laugh at his words. "I may have gone back on my word of waiting till marriage but I will only have kids when we're married," she said before playfully poking him. "Am I the one that's most eager to have children or are you?" she asked staring at him lovingly.

"Oh I don't know, I'd say we both are. My offer still stands though," he replied but Fiona could tell that he was kidding because she knew he wanted the same thing as her. It was always that way between the two of them. "If I must say, it is very tempting though," he continued still holding the grin on his face.

Blushing, Fiona merely nodded her head in agreement. "Yes, but we only have to wait a little longer," she said bringing Van's hands up and snuggled her face in them. "I really can't wait for that time to come though," she said as she slowly lowered his hands back to the table.

Nodding his head, Van moved his seat so that instead of sitting across from her he was sitting next to her. "So when are you planning to stop taking the pill?" he couldn't help but wonder since he knew she was still taking it.

Resting her head on his shoulder, Fiona sighed in content. "A few days before the wedding just to be safe," she said and he nodded his head. "We ran into Tiffany earlier today," Fiona said all of a sudden and she heard a deep growl erupt from Van's throat. "She was in the dress shop we went to."

"Is she stalking me or something?" Van growled out and Fiona just nodded her head since that really was the case. "She really is an idiot if she thinks I'll take her back after the stunt she pulled. I can never forgive her for that!" he said slamming his fist down on the table.

"She wants to stop our wedding by spreading lies. She said that the two of you were secretly together again," she said since she knew she couldn't keep secrets from Van. It would always make her feel bad when she had to do that so she made sure that she told him what she was able to.

"Then she's a bigger idiot than I thought. I would rather burn in hell than choose anyone over you," he said making Fiona blush a bit more. "You know not to take anything she says too seriously. She's a compulsive liar," he said and Fiona just nodded with the thought of all the things Tiffany did to Van.

"I know she is that's why I found that I couldn't believe her. She's proven many times that lying is the only thing she can use. It's just that I thought you might like to know about it," Fiona replied giving him a smile which he gave back.

"It was inevitable that my marriage was going to fail. I didn't love her and she obviously only loved my money. Having you brought back into the picture just settled things. I have no reason to go back to her, there's nothing there for me but there's everything here with you," he said giving her hand a squeeze. He didn't know why he needed to explain when he knew Fiona already knew the truth but he just felt that he needed to.

"Van, you don't need to keep telling me these things. I know you too well. I know you wouldn't do that. I wouldn't have agreed to marry you otherwise," she said giving his hand a tight squeeze. "I am curious as to why you've been so quiet lately though," she said eyeing him hoping to get something out of him.

A smile appeared on Van's face but he didn't say anything immediately. "That," he said before playfully poking her forehead, "is a secret," he said and laughed at the pout he saw on her face. "Sorry, my parents are forcing me to keep it a secret. Go bug them about it instead," he said with a grin seeing this as payback for making him keep it a secret from Fiona when he hated doing anything like that.

Seeing the amused look in his eyes, Fiona had a feeling that Van was using her for vengeance at that moment. "Using me to take out your vengeance?" she asked with a fake pout on her face.

"I'm shocked that you would accuse me of such a thing," Van said looking hurt but was laughing on the inside. "Well you're right anyways," he said before breaking out in laughter that caught the attention of many of the people that were in the cafeteria.

Fiona found that she couldn't contain her laughter either. "I'll see what I can do," she said but this just seemed to make Van laugh more. Fiona knew that there had to be a reason that this was kept a secret. She'd just be patient and wait until they'd tell her.

* * *

Though it was only a few hours, it felt like it took years. They'd been there for a good ten hours and yet they had yet to hear any sort of news on what was going on in there with their two friends. 

It wasn't even an hour after they first got there that Irvine and Moonbay's parents came. They still lived there so it was easy for them to make it. Van thought of how much trouble it would've been if they lived back where he, Fiona, Irvine, and Moonbay normally live.

Night had fallen a good few hours ago and the moon kept rising in the night sky. Everyone was getting a bit antsy. So much so that when a doctor walked through the door they thought it would be news and pretty much everyone would stand up at the exact same time.

By the time that one in the morning came around, Van found himself on the verge of falling asleep. Fiona looked like she was about to follow him as well. This would make it the twelfth hour and everyone was beginning to wonder just how much longer it was going to take.

"I knew it, that child's going to be as stubborn as it's parents since it seems to be refusing to come out already. Doesn't it know that there are people getting impatient out here?" Van groaned looking up at the clock.

"I wouldn't be talking Van," Karin piped up from her seat across the room. "I was in labor with you for a good fourteen hours," she continued remembering just how painfully long it was. She heard Fiona giggling at the comment and turned towards her. "You were just as bad from what I remember," she said this time with a humor in her voice as Fiona blushed a bit.

Deciding to just ignore the comment, Van closed his eyes thinking that he could at least get a little bit of sleep before the baby was born. Luck never was on his side though since at that exact moment, the doors opened and a doctor walked out.

Looking around the room, the doctor saw that there was quite a crowd. "Are all of you here with Mr. and Mrs. Saix?" he asked making everyone jump to their feet since they'd finally stopped doing that after about the hundredth time it happened. "I'll take that as a yes. I just wanted to tell you that the delivery was a success and the mother and babies are fine," he said giving them a bright smile.

Van couldn't help but wonder if he'd heard that right or not. He hoped that he did hear wrong. "Excuse me," Van spoke up bringing the doctor's attention to him. "Was I mistaken, or did you just say babies?" he asked and saw Fiona's eyes widen. It was apparent that she hadn't picked that up.

The doctor looked towards Van with a serious face which then turned into a smile as he simply nodded his head. "Yes, you did hear right. Caught us by surprise as well but she did have twins," the doctor said with a chuckle.

A groan escaped from Van at the thought of more than one little Irvine's and Moonbay's running around. "Someone just sign me into a mental institution now because I know I am going to go crazy!" he said dramatically while running a hand through his hair.

Hitting Van lightly was the only thing Fiona could think of doing. "You're being a little too dramatic Van. I think this is wonderful! I can't wait to see the little cuties!" she said as her eyes shone with happiness.

"At the moment we can only let the family in but if they feel up to it afterwards," he said looking towards the clock, "then you'll be able to go in. If not then just give them a few hours to rest," he said making Fiona pout as the doctor walked away with the new grandparents behind him.

Sitting back down, Fiona rested her head on Van's shoulder as she waited for her turn. She just hoped that it wasn't going to be long because she was getting more eager than ever at the thought that there were now two babies to see.

It took nearly an hour before anything happened. Fiona had fallen asleep but Van stayed awake so that he could wake Fiona if needed. He knew he'd be in trouble if they could go in but both ended up falling asleep and were not able to go.

The doors opened and the new grandparents came walking out. They didn't say much. All four of them looked really tired but really happy as well. They just nodded at everyone and then left to go get some sleep, all with plans to come back after a night's rest.

The doctor came out once again. "I wouldn't suggest it but they are asking for a Van and Fiona," he said looking at the four remaining people of the party. "Which of you are them?" he asked guessing it was the younger two but he wanted to make sure that he was correct.

"We are,' Van said before turning to Fiona. She looked so peaceful that he almost didn't have the heart to wake her up but he did anyways. "Wake up Fiona," he said giving her a slight shake causing her beautiful crimson eyes to slowly open. "They said we can go see them now," he said and her eyes immediately shot open and she stood up and started to drag Van to the door.

The doctor led them down the hall and to a small room. He left them at the door as the two of them walked in. Irvine seemed a bit pale right then but Van guessed that it was the shock of suddenly finding that he had twins to take care of. Moonbay looked exhausted as she laid on the bed but she was awake and looking at the two of them as they came into the room.

Next to the mother's bed were the two infants. One was wrapped in a blue blanket and the other was wrapped in a pink one meaning that one was a boy and the other was a girl. The girl was silent appearing to be asleep but the boy was restless and crying.

A squeal of delight erupted from Fiona when she looked at the children. "They're adorable," she said rushing over to look at them. "They look just like the two of you," she said looking from the boy to the girl.

The boy looked like a miniature version of his father, everything from the lighter colored skin to the small tufts of brown hair on his head were the same. The girl was the opposite looking she had her mother's slightly darker skin tone and dark brown hair. The personalities seemed different at first glance. The boy seemed to have his mother's rowdiness and the girl had her father's cool persona.

"Yes they do," Moonbay said with a weak laugh. She was very tired from giving birth to two children but she wanted to see her friends before she did that. "Looks like we have our work cut out for us. That stupid doctor I went to didn't even notice the second baby," she said with a hint of annoyance. She wished she could've been informed about it earlier so that she would have more time to prepare for two children.

"Don't worry about it so much Moonbay. Van and I will always be around to help you with them," Fiona said giving Moonbay a bright smile. "Can I hold one of them?" Fiona asked with a lot of hope in her eyes. It was something that would make anyone feel guilty if they were to refuse her.

"Sure, that doesn't sound so bad. We finally got her to sleep so if it can be him then I will be happy," she said and watched as Fiona picked the boy up with all the gentleness that she could muster.

Fiona took a seat in a chair as she supported the baby as carefully as possible. "Wow," was Fiona's response as the child seemed to settle down a bit. "What did you name the two of them?" Fiona asked curiously.

Irvine spoke first. "We named the girl Lily and the boy is named Jeremy," he explained and got a thankful look from Moonbay. "You really have a way with children Fiona," he said noticing how calm the boy seemed to be.

"Of course she does. She's a natural born mother. I know it'll be the exact same way when we have children. It's all just a part of who Fiona is," he said making Fiona blush at the compliments that he was giving her.

"I guess she is," Moonbay said as Fiona handed the now calm boy to Moonbay. "Say Fiona, I have an idea," Moonbay said looking happy about something else. "How about when you two have a child that we'll try to get it together with one of these two?" she asked thinking that it was a neat idea.

"That's brilliant!" Fiona said and Moonbay gave a look that said that of course it was since it was her idea. "If we have a boy then we can get him together with Lily and we can do that the same with Jeremy if we have a girl," Fiona said looking happier at the idea than anything else.

Moonbay looked like she was about to say something before the doctor sudden came into the room. "I think that is enough visiting for today. The mother needs her rest," he said since he didn't think it was a good idea to let the two of them visit in the first place. Moonbay refused to listen though. he just did it hoping that it would get her to get some rest faster.

"I guess he's right. It is rather late," Van said since it was nearly two in the morning by then. "Come on Fiona, we'll come back tomorrow and you two can talk then," he said grabbing her hand. "See the two of you later," he said and Fiona did the same thing as they walked out the door.

The two walked down the halls and out the doors where Van's parents were waiting for them. "They need to rest so just wait till tomorrow," Van said since his parents were like second parents to Irvine and Moonbay. His parents nodded and they left with Van and Fiona behind them.

"There's always something special about seeing a newborn baby," Fiona said with a sigh of happiness when resting her head on Van's shoulder. "Just seeing the babies makes me wish that we can get married faster so that we can have them sooner," she said eagerly.

"I doubt that will be possible unless you want Moonbay to miss out. She is going to be in the hospital for a few days and then will also need to remain on bed rest for some more. There'll just be enough time for her to get her dress fitted for the wedding by the time she can at least get up," Van explained making Fiona pout since she knew that what he said was true.

"It wouldn't be much of a wedding without my maid of honor," she said and Van just shrugged his shoulders. "I just hope these next few weeks go quickly so that we can finally get started on our own family," she said and this time Van nodded his head.

"Well you know, we can always keep practicing for then," Van whispered into her ear making her blush. "That sounds great but all I want to do is lie down and sleep for the entire day," he said and Fiona smiled at the idea as the two left the hospital and went to their car and headed back.


	29. heartache

'Four more days,' Fiona thought as she looked at herself in the mirror. It had taken several tries but she finally found the dress that she thought was perfect. It was a beautiful white dress that was held onto her shoulders by spaghetti straps. There was a pair of gloves on her hands as well.

"Absolutely gorgeous," Karin said with a smile as she encircled the young woman before her like a vulture after its prey. "I must say that you made quite a choice for you dress. I think it's perfect," she continued to say with a bright smile as she inspected every little detail.

"I know. I loved it since I first saw it," Fiona said smiling at her image before a frown suddenly crossed her face. "But still, I feel rather guilty. I've always dreamed of this perfect wedding wearing a beautiful white dress which is why I always tried to avoid having sex," she said admiring the beautiful white color that she almost felt unworthy to wear.

The look that Karin gave her made Fiona flinch slightly. "Technical details, no need to worry about it," she said waving it off like it was nothing. "I don't know of anyone who deserves to wear this kind of dress more than you," she said sounding a bit amused.

Walking up to her soon to be daughter-in-law, Karin placed her hands upon Fiona's shoulder. "Did you know that the color white on wedding dresses wasn't originally associated with virginity?" she asked and Fiona shook her head no. "Originally it stood for purity of heart and innocence of childhood from what I read. Being a virgin was just something slapped onto it later," she said moving Fiona's hair a little. "You have the purest heart I have ever seen and an innocence that almost radiates off of you whether you had sex or not," she said with a smile before taking a step back.

Her words definitely made Fiona feel a lot better. "Then I am very glad that I chose this one," she said as the seamstress made a few little details to it in order to have it ready for the big day.

"I know that my son will love it. Do you want to know something?" she asked and Fiona just nodded her head. "Van wasn't all that interested in Tiffany's wedding dress when he first saw it," she said which caused Fiona to give her a curious look. "She made sure to get the fanciest, most expensive dress that she could possibly find. Van's tastes are very simple so it just didn't look right to him," she said which brought about a smile from Fiona.

"I know he will like this one though," Fiona said since that was one of the reasons she chose it. She knew what Van liked by heart and chose the one that he would like the most. It just also happened to be the one that she fell in love with at first sight.

"I'm sure he will. Though I think he'll be wondering just how fast he can get it off of you later that night," she said whispering the last part. Karin then broke out in laughter when Fiona turned bright red at her words. "I sure can't wait for the children after that though," she said with a bright smile a Fiona gave her a cautious look. "I have been waiting twenty-seven years for this day Fiona when I first knew that you were going to be born," she said sounding a little too hyper for a fifty-two year old.

"You're not going to get off my case until I give you another grandkid, are you?" Fiona asked and Karin just shook her head enthusiastically. "I swear, you're the type of woman that never changes," she muttered to which Karin chuckled.

"I've waited far too long to give up now Fiona," Karin said with a laugh but then suddenly stopped. "But most of all Fiona, I just want you and Van to be happy and live your lives to the fullest," Karin said going from happy to very serious in only a few seconds. "I don't want you to ever have any regrets about the decisions you make," she said though it appeared that her mind was elsewhere.

Fiona didn't say anything. Instead, she just wrapped her arms around the woman in a tight hug. "Don't worry. There is nothing about my time with Van that I will ever regret," she said after backing away slightly when the seamstress showed annoyance that Fiona didn't stay still.

"That's good to hear." Karin said as she took a step back to admire the dress and see if anything else was needed. "So how are you feeling since the wedding is in only four days?" she asked with a soft motherly smile.

"Scared out of my mind," Fiona said honestly and immediately. "I have no doubts about my relationship to Van but I still can't help wonder just what the future holds after we get married and it scares me," she continued as a small blush of embarrassment crossed her face.

A laugh erupted from Karin's throat at Fiona's words. "I had a friend who felt the exact same way when she got married. Pretty much said the exact same words when I asked how she was feeling about it. Probably the only difference was that she was pregnant at the time," Karin said but with a glint in her eyes that went completely unnoticed by the younger woman.

Something about what Karin said struck a cord in Fiona and she had no idea why it was but it compelled her to say what she said next. "Was she happy after she got married?" Fiona couldn't help but ask since she never could remember ever seeing Karin with any old friends. The only one she knew about was her father.

"She was," Karin said gaining a confused look from Fiona with the past tense. "She's dead. I've lost many friends and family in my lifetime Fiona. None affected me more than her," she continued sadly but then brightened up. "She once told me just before she died that the time she had with her husband and child was the happiest that she had ever been in her life. Your fate won't be the same but I know that you'll be just as happy as she was," she finished with a smile that was both sad and happy.

"I'm sorry if I brought up painful memories. I'm just being foolish. I know I will be happy with Van. That's never been a problem but I was scared. But hearing your story made me feel much better so thank you," Fiona said with a bright smile as the seamstress finally finished up the last bit of detail for that day which meant that it was pretty much done and ready for the wedding.

"Don't worry about it. I've long since come to terms with her death. I am happy that you feel better though. Almost all brides feel that way. To tell the truth I was in much worse shape than you were on mine but I got through it without a hitch because I had my friends by my side," she said giving a smile before she walked out of the room giving Fiona time to get changed.

'She shouldn't be thanking me. I should be thanking her. That's the first time I've ever gotten to really talk to Fiona about her and it felt good. It makes it better that I didn't exactly break my promise so Dan won't get on my case about it. I mean, I never actually stated that she was Fiona's mother,' she thought with a smile as she waited for Fiona to come out.

It was several minutes before the changing rooms doors opened and Fiona came walking out dressed in her sleeveless pink turtleneck shirt and knee length red skirt that she wore that day. "Let's get going," Fiona said giving Karin a bright smile as they headed out the door since the dress had already been paid for.

"So, how are the twins doing? I haven't gotten to see them much since they were released from the hospital since I've been so busy with the wedding. Even though it's your wedding, you've been spending more time with them than I have," Karin said jokingly as the two of them stepped out of the shop and headed towards the car.

Fiona couldn't help but laugh a little in embarrassment. "Sorry but I couldn't help it. The two of them are just too cute. I wonder what my children will be like," Fiona said looking all dreamy at the thought. "It will be so much fun when they get older too with Moonbay's plan and all," she said with a bit of a bounce in her step.

Karin was really starting to see the affect she was having on Fiona with all the baby talk. "Oh really? What plan would that be?" she asked laughing a bit with how happy Fiona looked. She seemed to become happier and happier the closer they get to the wedding. She even kept thinking more and more about the future afterwards.

"The night the twins were born the two of us made a promise. That when I had a child that we'd do everything we could to get them together when they grew up," Fiona explained knowing that she'd be willing to do anything to let that happen.

As soon as the words left Fiona's mouth, Karin immediately came to a stop. Her eyes were really wide in shock. From Fiona's point of view she looked a bit pale. "Is everything alright?" she asked wondering if she said something wrong.

Snapping out of her reverie, Karin immediately put on a smile. "No, everything's fine. That sounds like a very nice idea the two of you had. I know that you'll be able to make it work somehow. Now let's get home," she said before she started to walk towards the car again.

Fiona got into the drivers seat and the car took off. It was silent after that as Karin was going through her thoughts. Fiona couldn't help but wonder why it was that the normally happy middle-aged woman had suddenly become all moody. Something told her it would be best not to ask since she had a feeling that it wouldn't even be answered if she did.

This seemed to be the trend of things as of late. Karin always seemed to be extremely moody or extremely excited. Fiona wondered what exactly it was that was making her become like this. Yet each time she tried to ask Karin would immediately change her attitude back to normal and then change the subject away from it.

'Van knows something and I'm sure Karin is thinking of the same thing. It's obvious that Dan knows as well. Why would they need to keep this from me though?' Fiona pondered thinking over any possible reason before giving up. 'I just wish that I could understand why everyone is being like this.'

* * *

Fiona sighed as she relaxed on her bed. In front of her a TV was on and she was watching the tapes she had been given. She really wished that she could find out what it was that her father was trying so hard to be able to tell her. This was pretty much the only thing that she could think of doing to calm her nerves. 

It was two days before her wedding and her nerves felt like they were on end. Never in her life had she ever felt as nervous as she did right then. She had no doubts in her mind that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Van but it still scared her a bit to think about all that was going to happen then.

The sound of her door opening turned Fiona's attention away from the television. She smiled when she saw the one she loved most come walking into the room. "Hey Van," she said moving over to let him lie down next to her.

Van did exactly as Fiona wanted and lied down on the bed before he took Fiona in his arms and held her close to him. "I see you're watching this again," he said looking at the video which caused Fiona to nod her head. "Any idea what it's about yet?" he asked her even though he already knew the truth.

Fiona's eyes saddened. "No. I have tried so hard but nothing is coming to me. You know something though, don't you?" she asked him since it was one of the few things that she had been able to figure out over all her confusion these last few weeks. Van was left completely speechless at Fiona's words which was all that Fiona needed in order to know that she had it right. "Why didn't you tell me?" she asked sounding hurt that he was keeping something so important from her.

"I forced it from my father and he forced me to keep quiet," Van explained hoping to get rid of that look on Fiona's face. "It's not my place to tell you though. Believe me, I would if I could. The thing is that this is really something that you should hear from your father and no one else. I'm sorry," he said truthfully.

Fiona pulled away from Van's arms and stood up. Without saying a word she just left the room leaving Van alone. He knew that she needed some space and in the meantime he would go and try to force his parents to finally give up this charade. He simply couldn't stand seeing Fiona looking so sad and confused.

* * *

Fiona sighed as she sat on the edge of a small cliff that overlooked the ocean. Since they were already back at the resort, Fiona found herself coming to that spot a lot because of how much she loved the ocean. 

'So that's why he's seemed so been so distant lately. He's been doing what he could to not tell me the truth,' she thought hating how Van was keeping such a secret from her when he knew that she just wanted to know the truth.

"You look down Fiona," Moonbay's voice said from behind the blonde haired woman. Fiona turned around and looked at the other woman who happened to be carrying her son with her. Fiona guessed that Irvine had their daughter at that moment.

"Oh hey Moonbay. It's nothing, I just have a lot on my mind," Fiona lied before she turned her attention to Jeremy. "Hey there cutie. How are you doing?" she asked in a baby like voice despite the fact that the baby was asleep.

"He's been really fussy," Moonbay said with a laugh as she took a seat next to Fiona. She saw Fiona looking at Jeremy and smiled as she held him out to Fiona who gently took the little boy from Moonbay's arms. "So what's on your mind? Shouldn't you be happy that you're getting married in two days?" she asked as she laid back and relaxed in the grass.

Fiona sighed and immediately explained the whole situation between her, Van, and his parents. "I just don't understand what's going on or why none of them will tell me especially Van. I thought he of all people would tell me," Fiona explained with a frown on her face.

"If it's so big that even Van won't mention it then there must be a good reason. Give it time and I'm sure that you will be able to figure all of this out," Moonbay said staring up at the cloudy skies. It looked like it could rain later that day.

"Maybe," Fiona muttered before silence grew between the two of them. They just sat there for a while before Jeremy woke up and Moonbay had to take him back in order to change him.

Fiona sighed as she was alone again. She stayed there for another hour or so before she stood up and started to walk back to her room. Even though it was still the afternoon she was tired and wanted to take a nap and hopefully understand things better when she woke up.

Fiona opened the door to her room and walked in. She walked over and fell onto the bed with a sigh. It was then that she felt herself laying on something. Picking up the tape, she at first thought it was the tape she was watching earlier but then she noticed that it was different because of the label. "Another one?" she questioned looking at it eagerly since she really wanted to know what was on it.

Fiona looked at the tape for several seconds before she finally stood up and started to walk over to the TV. However, just before she could place it in the video player, she found herself hesitating.

For some reason Fiona could feel so much worry within her. She could feel her heart beating so hard in her chest she thought it would explode. 'What is it that I'm worried about? This is what I have been waiting for,' she thought taking a deep breath before she pushed in the tape.

She took a seat back on her bed just in time as it started up. She couldn't help but wonder if this would finally answer all of her question or if it was just another stepping stone like the last one she was given.

The first shot that popped up confused Fiona more than anything. It appeared to be a zoomed up shot of something that she couldn't clearly make out. It looked like a giant bump or something like that.

Slowly it started to zoom out until a figure started to come into focus. Fiona's eyes widened when it fully zoomed and out and laid eyes on a beautiful woman in an even more beautiful wedding dress. There were two things that disturbed her about it though. One the woman looked extremely pregnant as if she was about to give birth any second. The second was that standing right next to the woman was her father and they were kissing as if the two of them had gotten married. 'No, they really did,' Fiona thought finding herself shaking as she was coming to revelation.

The woman, Fiona realized was the same woman from the second video that she had gotten. She was the same one that was dancing with her father. 'But why? Why is he marrying her? Why is she pregnant? Who is she?" Fiona asked herself trying not to realize just what she was seeing.

Crying was then heard as the camera turned away from the scene to a baby who looked to be no more than a few months old. "Now, now Van. This is the marriage of the mother and father of your future wife. So cheer up a little," he said with a tone of amusement even though it was evident that he knew it wouldn't work.

'Mother? Father? What's going on?' Fiona continued to ask herself since she felt everything she had grown up to know crumbling beneath her feet. She didn't know what was truth and what was false anymore

She knew though that no matter how much she tried to deny it that would never change the truth. With just a few scenes of a film she no longer even knew who she was anymore. She didn't know what it was in her life that was true and what was false. "Who am I?" she murmured feeling tears start falling down her eyes.

* * *

Karin sighed, she knew that she shouldn't have given it away early but she simply couldn't take it anymore. This has already gone way too far and it was time to end it. She didn't want Fiona to get married to Van while her heart was so troubled wondering just what her own father was keeping from her, 

When Dan had gone to check on things she hijacked the tape and left it for Fiona to see. She technically wasn't breaking any promises. George wanted to tell her so she would let him. It was just a bit early.

It didn't take long for Dan to realize it was missing. At that moment he was chastising his wife about what she did and how she wasn't supposed to but it was pretty clear that she wasn't even listing to his ranting.

Figuring that she'd fall asleep before he finished, Karin decided to just forget it and got up and left much to her husband's annoyance. This brought a giggle to her throat since she knew that he wouldn't do anything more than yap her ear off.

Walking towards Fiona's room, Karin figured that the young woman was probably really confused about everything after that and planned to try and talk it over with her and try to help her understand the things her father probably forgot to mention to her in the tapes.

Finding herself standing in front of Fiona's room. Karin raised her hand and knocked on the door. She didn't even wait before she said, "It's me, Karin. I'm coming in." she then opened the door and walked into the room.

Karin took notice that the TV was on and that the tape was still playing but the problem was that Fiona was nowhere to be found. "That's odd," she said noticing something on the bed. She walked over and picked up it taking notice that it was a note. The more she read it the more things started to fall apart.

Immediately Karin ran out of the room at full speed and ran back to her room. Dan was still there and she quickly ran to him. "Dan!" she screamed thrusting the note into his chest. "We have a problem!" she said as he looked it over.

"This isn't good. Fiona's taken off," he said with a growl figuring that something like this might happen. He ignored his better judgment and decided to just keep to the word he had given to George about letting George explain things.

"Fiona's gone?" a voice came from the doorway which made Dan and Karin freeze up when they realized that it was Van. "W-where did she go? Van asked feeling worried that maybe Fiona had taken off because she didn't want to get married to him anymore. 'No, that can't be it,' he thought looking at his parents.

"Fiona found out the truth and took off in confusion. She couldn't have gone very far since she didn't even let the tape finish. We'll look for her and find her so don't worry," Dan said preparing to run after Fiona to explain things.

"Don't bother," Van said which shocked his parents. "Leave this to me. I think I might know where she went," he said turned around and leaving before either of his parents could even say a word.

'Being lied to all this time, it's no wonder that she ran off in shock. Can't say I'm any better since I wasn't being completely honest with her about this,' he thought growing angry at himself.

He ran out the doors of the resort and headed towards his car only to find that it was gone. 'Well she doesn't have a car with her anyways,' he thought changing directions before taking his parent's car. He swiped a key before he left the room just in case but he never thought that he would ever really use it.

He knew it would take some time to get there and he wasn't exactly sure just how much of a head start Fiona had on him but he planned to find her no matter what. There was no question in his mind as to where she had gone though so that made it a lot easier for him.

* * *

Fiona kneeled down in front of a grave that she had not even looked upon before. She had come here to visit her father and hope to understand what was going on. She simply didn't understand anything anymore. 

It was then that she noticed the grave next to him and that was when she knew that it all had to be true. She remembered the name being mentioned in the video just as she left. Now she was sitting before this woman. A woman she didn't even know. A woman who was supposed to be her mother.

"Who are you? Who am I? Why didn't anyone tell me this? They just let me go on thinking that Claire was my mother," Fiona said even though she could say that she didn't mind Claire not actually being her mother. In fact, it was like a burden had been lifted off her shoulders with the truth but then a new burden took its place.

The next moment Fiona felt a few drops of water start to come down before they picked up pace and it started to pour out. Looking up at the sky, Fiona didn't even try to move as she just let the water pour down upon her. "The rain feels nice," she murmured before looking at the grave again.

She wasn't sure how long she had sat there on the ground in the rain but it wasn't long before she was completely soaked but she didn't mind in the least. She loved the rain as long as there was no lightning or thunder.

So wrapped up in her thoughts, Fiona didn't even hear the sounds of wet footsteps coming towards her. It was only when she felt the rain stop falling on her that she turned her attention to the person and saw that it was Van. She didn't say anything to him though and turned her attention back to the grave.

Van sighed knowing that she obviously didn't want to talk to him at that moment. "I'm sorry Fiona. I wanted to tell you, I really did but I knew it wasn't my place to do so. That was for your father and only him to tell you," he said bending down a little.

Fiona still didn't speak to him. She wasn't sure whether to hug him right then for comfort or yell at him for keeping such a big secret from her. "Who am I?! I feel like I'm not even myself anymore!" she yelled at him with tears falling down her face since the rain couldn't wash them away.

"You're Fiona! That's all you've ever been. You lived without a mother all your life. No one ever told you that Claire was your mother. She's nothing but a guardian who passed herself off as such because she knew she could and yet still get away with it!" Van said back in a bit of a raised voice.

"Yeah but they never bothered to tell me otherwise! I lived years suffering because I thought she was my mother!" Fiona yelled back letting out some of the pain she had built up over the past several years.

"That's because your father thought you would be ashamed of him if he didn't tell you all about it in person," Van replied and Fiona seemed to calm down a bit. "You thought of him as the man that could do no wrong. He worried what you would think if you learned of how he cheated on Claire," Van said remembering what his parents had told him.

"It's only caused me pain though. I would've liked to know about my mother. I would've liked to be able to have some happy memories about having a mother. Instead all I have are bad ones about a woman who lied to me so that she could control my life," Fiona said feeling more tears falling.

Van dropped the umbrella and kneeled down next to her. He didn't mind the rain but the sight of Fiona's pain was too much for him. He immediately pulled her into a tight embrace with everything her had. "I'm sorry I couldn't do anything Fiona. I knew it was a stupid idea and yet I couldn't do anything. I'm so sorry," he said wanting nothing more than her forgiveness.

Fiona didn't say anything, she just held him tightly back as she cried into his shirt. It was several minutes before she finally managed to calm down. She felt herself then be lifted to her feet and the rain finally stop falling on them again when Van picked up the umbrella once again.

"From what I understand, you were her whole world Fiona. She was the type of mother who would give up everything she had just to see a smile on your face. 'The complete opposite of Claire,' was what my dad said when he described her.

Fiona felt a smile grace her face when she heard those words escape Van's lips. Her heart felt a bit more eased at the thought that at least at one point in her life she had a mother that truly loved her.

"Come on, we should find a hotel to get out of the rain and we should get some dry clothes on as well. Good thing I grabbed some spares before I left," he said with a laugh which got a little chuckle out of Fiona.

Van tried to turn and leave but Fiona didn't seem quite ready to move. "Come on Fiona. I'm sure she wouldn't appreciate it if you got sick because of her," he told Fiona with a frown. "I promise you that we'll come back tomorrow morning before we head back… that is if you still want to go back," he said with a bit of worried.

Fiona face held little emotion but she laid her head down upon Van's shoulder. She took his hand with her own and squeezed it tightly. "You know, at the moment I realize that there is so little that I actually know about myself," she said and saw a frown cross Van's face. "But one of the few things that I do know is that I will always love you Van. I still want to go through with the wedding," she said with a smile.

It hurt that he hadn't been truthful with her. Yet in a way she understood why now. This was something between her and her father. She realized that it probably wouldn't have felt right if she heard it from any other. Sure she was hurt that no one told her the truth but she would've been more disappointed if her father hadn't told her himself.

Van felt Fiona finally start moving and he smiled as he led her to the car. They would leave one of them where it was for now and just come back for it tomorrow since he intended to come back anyways.

The two of them got into the car and drove around for a little before they found a hotel with some vacancies. After checking in the two of them went to the room and immediately got changed into something dry.

Fiona came out of the bathroom dressed in only a t-shirt that was a bit too large for her. She was still trying to dry out her hair but for the most part she had gotten most of the water off of her. For a little while she thought that she would be eternally wet.

Van looked at Fiona and smiled as she sat down on the bed. He then held out the tape from before which he had brought with him. "I think that you should watch the rest of it. Maybe you will be able to get more of the answers you seek," he said and watched as Fiona hesitantly took the tape.

Van was glad that this hotel had a VCR because he really wanted to be able to help Fiona get the answers that she so desperately wanted. He had hooked it up while Fiona was in the bathroom and it was ready to go as she put the tape inside it.

The two of them watched as the wedding once again played out. "She looks so happy," Fiona muttered looking at the beautiful woman's face which had a huge smile upon it. "She must've been so happy to be with my father," she said with a small smile of her own.

The face of George Lynette popped up once again like on all the other tapes. "I'm sure you realize by now that I haven't been very honest with you Fiona. That was your mother Fiona," he said with a sad smile upon his face.

"Years ago, a while before you were born, I had married Claire hastily. All that time though I had always loved your mother. She was a woman that could light up any room she was in. She was my best friend for most of my life. I loved her and she loved me and yet I married Claire. My marriage to Claire was a mistake from the beginning since I only did it in anger at a relationship that your mother was in. I was nothing but a fool," he said shaking his head with a sigh.

"We both were eager to make one another jealous and we didn't realize what it mistake that was until we seemed so out of reach of each other. Then we ended up starting an affair. Then she ended up becoming pregnant with you. My marriage with Claire immediately collapsed and we got divorced because of it. Then I finally got to marry your mother about a month before you were born. We were so happy," he said with a fond smile as he remembered how things were for him.

"That's the way it was for a little over a year. Then everything went bad when she was killed. You were so young at the time and yet you already lost your mother," he said looking so sad when he had been looking so happy just a few moment earlier. "It was the most painful moment of my life. I had lost the love of my life and you had lost your mother," he said wiping away a few tears at the memory.

"It's not that I didn't want to tell you about all this sooner but it's just been so painful for me to remember all of it. Sometimes I feel like it was my fault that she died. I feel like if only I was there that I could've saved her. I failed her when she needed me the most," he said as more tears fell. It was obvious just how painful it was for him to be talking about it like this.

"You see, she was shot because I made her go out to get something for me from the store because I was in a hurry. I realized later that it could've easily have waited but it was already too late to save her," he said before trying to compose himself again.

"She lived for a little while but not for long. She died though the same way that she lived, with a bright smile on her face. You and I were right by her side until the last minute and that made her very happy. She said that her only regret was that she wouldn't be able to see you grow up but at the same time she was glad to be able to at least hold you in her arms once more before she died," he said still struggling to hold back some tears.

"I was a coward for not telling you this sooner. I wanted you to only hear it from me though so don't blame those that didn't tell you anything," he said her looking at her with eyes that begged her forgiveness.

Suddenly his mood completely switched to one of a smile. "So you've gotten married though I'm guessing Karin got a little too eager and you haven't quite yet," he said which brought out a laugh from Van and Fiona.

"Van, I trust that you will take care of my daughter. She is everything to me and even more than that to her mother. Look after her and love her always," he said and Van got the impression that he was actually looking right at him through the TV.

"Fiona, always keep smiling and live life the way you feel is right. It's yours to live now. Not Claire's, not mine, but yours and only yours. I'm sure you'll look or you looked very beautiful on your wedding day. I'm just sorry that neither of us can be there to see it. I would've loved to be able to walk you down the aisle. But as long as you're happy then I know that I will be able to rest in peace," he said before the tape stopped.

Van looked at Fiona and frowned when he saw how sad she looked. 'This sure is a lot for her to take in all of a sudden,' he thought as he pulled her close to him to try and comfort her. He hated seeing her like this.

Fiona buried her head into his chest and enjoyed the solace that it brought her troubled mind. 'Everything feels so crazy right now but when I am in his arms I feel nothing but peace,' she thought as she listened to the sound of Van's heart beating.

"Ever wonder why my mom was so intent on getting us together?" Van asked Fiona making her look up at him in confusion. "It's because she promised your mother that she would when we were born. Death wouldn't come between Emily Lynette and her goal they said. She'd haunt them for the rest of their lives if they failed is what they told me," he said and was glad when he got a true laugh from Fiona.

"I guess that explains her persistence. She wanted to get it done before anything else came between us. It also explains why she looked so shocked when I mentioned my promise to Moonbay. It must've brought back a lot of memories," she said looking at Van with eyes full of love. "I guess that now it's our turn to make our own memories especially when we have kids of our own," she said with a look that Van knew all too well.

"My sweet little Fiona is having naughty thoughts again, isn't she?" he asked with a grin as he was sudden pulled down onto the bed. "Problem is though that I don't have a condom and you're not on the pill so we'll just have to wait two more days," he said before Fiona roughly kissed him with everything she had.

"I trust you and am willing to take that chance. I saw how happy she looked in that film despite being very pregnant. Pregnant or not, I know I will be just as happy," she said ultimately saying that she didn't mind if she got knocked up.

"It's just two more…" he said but his argument was cut off when Fiona quickly pulled his short up and over his head before he even had a chance to stop her. After that was done his lips were completely sealed with her own. He couldn't seem to think anymore and that was when he gave in.

* * *

Fiona was embarrassed as hell the next morning. First when the two of them went to check out they saw that many people were giving them funny looks. It was pretty clear that despite her best efforts to keep it down that she didn't do a very good job. 

Both of them were all too happy to be able to get out of there and avoid the looks that people were giving them. "I told you that you were making too much noise," Van said which caused Fiona to blush heavily. He just loved to see her blush like that. It made her look so damn cute.

"Oh shut up!" Fiona yelled right back trying her best to get her face under control. She heard him chuckle and that seemed to make her more embarrassed. Instead of responding though she just got in the car to get away from there.

To Fiona, it wasn't just what Van was saying right then that was embarrassing her. It also had to do with how she acted last night. For a while she didn't care if she got pregnant or not despite her desire to not have one till they were married. Van could've very easily have done that but instead chose to wait. If it was even possible, Fiona found her love continue to grow even more because of that.

Van chuckled once more as he got into the drivers seat and started the car. They planned to go back to the cemetery once more since it had finally stopped raining. He knew that Fiona wanted a little more time with her mother and he would give that to her since no one else gave her any.

Looking over at Fiona, Van saw that she still looked a bit angry at him. "Oh come on Fiona, cheer up. Just think, tomorrow we will finally be able to get married," he said hoping to cheer her up. Fiona didn't look at him though but he couldn't help but notice the smile that crossed her face. That was more than enough for him as he just drove on in silence.

The two of them made one stop to buy some flowers before they headed back to the cemetery. The ground at the cemetery was still wet but neither Van or Fiona minded as they made their way through to the graves of her father and mother.

Fiona took the flowers in her hands and kneeled down placing one of them on her father's grave and then the other on her mother's grave. "All this time, I really wish I had known. It's been so rough living with Claire as she kept trying to take everything that mattered to me," Fiona said as her hand brushed over the name on the tombstone.

"You're free to do what you want now Fiona. She lied to you, took advantage of your kindness, and did everything possible to hurt you. She was never a mother to begin with," Van said in a comforting way after he silently said a prayer to her deceased parents.

"You're right," Fiona replied giving Van a smile. "I don't know much about her. Now that I think about it, she looked like she truly loved my father in the tape though. They both looked so happy," she continued.

"They were, I know it. At least now you can proudly say that even if for a little while you knew that you had a mother who truly loved you," he said with a smile as he helped her to her feet.

"I always did," Fiona said returning the smile. "Your mother has always been the mother that I lost. That means that I've always had two mothers that loved me," she said and Van nodded as she took his hand. She then turned toward the graves again. "I promise that I will try to visit both of you again. Hopefully next time I will know a bit more about you mother," she said before she turned and her and Van started to head off towards the car once again.

The two of them weren't in much of a hurry to get back. That was probably why it was evening when they finally got there. Fiona smiled as she got out of the car. She looked upon the place she was going to get married in and felt extremely happy.

Van smiled as he walked up to Fiona's side. "Come on, I'm sure that they're all worried about you," he said and she nodded as he grabbed her hand and led the way back into the building that she had so quickly run out of the day before.

Fiona walked behind Van with her head down. She was worried about what everyone would think about how she acted. 'I hope that they won't be too mad at me,' she thought with a sigh as they walked down the halls.

It wasn't long before two familiar faces were seen. Van's parents, despite what Fiona had done, were still working hard on getting everything together for the big day. It made Fiona feel guilty but happy at the same time to know that they knew she would still come back.

Karin turned her head when she saw two people approaching and smiled. She immediately got her husband's attention and he too smiled as they approached the younger couple. "I'm so glad to see that you're back," Karin said giving Fiona a big smile.

"I'm so sorry for the trouble that I must have …" Fiona said but was then cut off when Karin brought her into a tight hug. It was comforting to know that she cared for Fiona so much as Fiona gave her a hug back.

"No, I'm the one that should be sorry. We kept this from you for so long. There were so many times that I wanted to tell you but Dan was being a stubborn ass about our promise to your father not to tell you until he did," she said glaring at her husband who looked away guiltily. "How are you feeling Fiona?" she asked with worried eyes.

"Tired… confused. I just don't know what is going on," Fiona replied staring towards the ground. She felt Karin tighten her embrace and smile. She may not have grown up with a mother but she had a great one right here.

"I promise that I will tell you everything you could ever possibly know in time," she said pulling away slightly to stare at Fiona. "Do you still want to go on with the wedding?" she asked looking really worried.

"That's probably the only thing that I know for sure that I want to do," Fiona responded and Karin smiled again as she stepped back and next to her husband. "I'm really tired right now. I'm going to go up to my room," she said and the two nodded as Fiona grabbed Van's hand and started to pull him towards her room.

Since Fiona wouldn't be able to see Van at all the next day until she walked to the alter, she wanted to spend as much time as she possibly could with him right then. 'To think that today is my last day as Fiona Lynette. Tomorrow I'll be Fiona Flyheight,' she thought absolutely loving the sound of it.

The two of them walked into her room. They smiled as the laid down. Not much was said; they just laid there and basked in each other's presence. When it started to get late, Van finally detached himself from Fiona and stood up. "I guess this is it until tomorrow," he said as he leaned down and captured Fiona's lips in his own. 'Our last kiss before we get married,' he thought as he stood up and walked to the door.

Fiona watched him leave and felt rather lonely laying there without him. 'When was it that I became so dependant on Van? How long has it been since I have had to sleep alone without being able to hold him in my arms. I know that this is going to be a long night,' she thought with a sigh as she rolled over and tried to get to sleep.

Van was leaning again the door not quite ready to leave yet. He could hear Fiona tossing and turning inside the room as she tried to sleep. He hated how he couldn't sleep next to her that night.

His mother was playing it extra careful trying to make sure that they didn't do anything to cause bad luck. He knew that because she came walking up to him right then ready to guard the door to keep him from getting back into the room.

Sighing, Van finally pushed himself away from the door and started to head towards his own room. The two of them shared a room the first night and weren't even there the next but still shared a room together. Now they had to separate until tomorrow and he could feel that it was already too long that he had been away from her.

The room was so empty as Van walked into it. He immediately knew that he wouldn't have an easy time sleeping that night. He laid down on the bed after changing and closed his eyes and waited for dreams to finally take him.

* * *

Sorry for such a long wait everyone. The lemon to this chapter of the story can be found on Be sure to check it out and leave some reviews. 


	30. into the future

Music was all she heard. In her sleep a sweet melody drifted around her. It was a soothing tune that seemed to calm all the worries of those who happened to listen to it. 'This tune sounds so familiar,' Fiona thought in her sleep.

It was then that a dream lit up her otherwise calm sleep. Something felt wrong though. She suddenly felt very tiny as if the world hard expanded around her. Her body also felt so weak. The music could still be heard as Fiona tried to locate where it was coming from.

She reached out her hands to try and grasp onto anything. It was then that she noticed that he arms that reached out weren't hers. They were tiny. They were merely the size of a baby's arm which confused Fiona.

Despite not being able to move she felt an odd sense of comfort from where she was. It was only then that she noticed a pair of arms that were wrapped around her holding her so gently to a warm body.

'That music, it's coming from this person,' Fiona thought as the person who was now clearly a woman continued to sing. 'She's so gentle and I can feel so much love,' Fiona thought as the scene slowly started to fade around her. "No wait, don't go yet!" Fiona mentally yelled out.

Suddenly her eyes snapped open and Fiona sat up quickly in her bed. 'A dream,' she thought disappointed at the loss of those feelings that she had. 'What was that all about?' she asked herself as she rubbed sleep out of her eyes.

It was only then that she happened to hear the song that was still being hummed. She looked in that direction but all she saw was Karin standing on the opposite end of the room just staring out the window. "That song," Fiona said out loud finally catching Karin's attention.

"Oh Fiona. I'm sorry if I woke you up. I came to wake you up but you were sleeping so peacefully that I just couldn't do it right then. I just decided to wait around until you woke up. Plenty of time left anyways," Karin said giving Fiona an extra bright smile since this was the day that she had been planning for the past twenty six years.

"It's alright," Fiona said smiling back, "but that song. What song was that?" she asked since the tune continued to echo in her mind. It was so hauntingly familiar and the dream that she had made it even more familiar.

"You like it, do you?" Karin asked as she stood up and started to prepare some of Fiona's things. She had personally taken it upon herself to make sure that Fiona would be ready for the wedding and refused to let anyone professional do it. When she saw Fiona nod she couldn't help but smile. "To tell the truth she was the one that taught it to me," she responded with a smile.

Fiona didn't need to be told to know who 'she' was. "My mother?" she questioned even though she already knew the answer and it was confirmed when Karin nodded her head in response.

"Yes," she said with a gentle smile. "She used to sing it to you all the time when you were a baby. It was probably one of the few things that could calm you down completely when you started crying," she said thinking about Fiona all the way back then and what she had become in all these years.

This immediately made Fiona think about the dream that she had. "I had a dream before I woke up. I dreamt I was a baby being held in her arms once again. I couldn't help but feel so comfortable and loved during it," she said remembering how gentle her mother had been to her in the dream.

"I see. You were probably just remembering it happen rather then having a dream. You were her everything. She loved you so much. If you were sick she'd end up getting sick trying to find a way to help you," she said with a smile chuckle with how much a worrywart she was when it came to Fiona.

These words really warmed Fiona's heart. "I'm glad to hear how much she loved me," she said with a smile as she swung her feet over the bed and stood up. "Thanks for telling me all this," she said and Karin nodded her head.

"So how are you feeling right now? It's the big day and all," she mentioned which caused Fiona to freeze for a few moments as if she was just remembering this news. "The dream and song made you forget all about it for a few minutes, huh?" she asked with a chuckle but she couldn't really blame her.

"A little," Fiona muttered with a smile as she went about grabbing a few things since she wanted to take a nice, long, and relaxing bath before she went through all the fuss about getting ready for her wedding.

"You don't seem to sound the least bit scared about it compared to a few days ago," Karin replied curiously. "I know that when I got married to Dan I was scared out of my wits," she continued with a laugh as she threw Fiona a towel.

"I admit that it does make me feel nervous. Besides that though, I have no reason to be scared anymore. I know for a fact that Van's the man I want to spend the rest of my life. The person whose children I want to bear," she said blushing at the thought but never once did she ever let go of the smile that was upon her face. "Besides, according to Van we already are and this is just a formality," she said with a grin.

"I'll say. I can't keep you two away from each other for five minutes," Karin said with a chuckle that made Fiona blush a little again. "It was no different than when the two of you were babies. The two of you were always playing with each other and always put up a fuss when we had to separate the two of you. That was when I knew that the two of you were always meant to be," Karin said going down memory lane.

Fiona remembered Van once telling her about it. It didn't really surprise her when he did since she kinda expected it ever since learning that her father and the Flyheights happened to be the best of friends. She remembered seeing the picture that Van showed her and thought that they looked really cute together back then.

"I'm sure that if she lived that as soon as the two of you turned old enough to marry she'd have made you whether you liked it or not. Though I'm sure that the two of you would've been happy with it," she said with a smile as she set out several things that she planned to use once Fiona got out of the bath. She was in charge of making Fiona look her best for the wedding and she was going to do it wonderfully.

"Well I better get cleaned up," Fiona said and Karin nodded as Fiona walked into the bathroom and closed the door. She the stripped off her nightgown and got into the tub that was already filled and at the perfect temperature.

"She really is just like you," Karin murmured back in the room with a sad smile. "You told me the same thing when you finally got to get married to George. Despite not knowing you, she is just like you," she said with a chuckle as she just waited.

* * *

Van was fast asleep in his bed. It had taken a while for him to get to sleep the night before but he managed and was happily fast asleep right then. He was reminded the night before just how much harder it had become for him to sleep when Fiona wasn't by his side. 

The door to his room opened and Irvine and Dan came walking into the room intent on forcing Van out of bed if they had to. They knew what a sleeper he could be and it looked like it would take some time to get him up that day.

"Van, come on, wake up," Dan said as he walked to his son's side and started to shake him a little. All that Van did in response to this was roll over in his bed and start snoozing peacefully while the other two men rolled their eyes.

"If you don't mind, let me take a shot at it," Irvine said rolling up his sleeves while Dan nodded his head and moved out of the way. Irvine immediately walked up to Van and grabbed a hold of the blanket before pulling with all his might.

This action caused Van to fall out of the bed and onto the floor hard. Despite that it had the desired effect as Van woke up immediately with a yelp of pain. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" Van yelled getting up and glaring at Irvine who was still holding the blanket with a smirk on his face.

"About time you got up. I was beginning to think that you planned to sleep through your own wedding. I'd hate to see Fiona upset because you'd rather sleep then marry her," he teased his best friend.

It was only then that Van remembered what day it was. "Oh yeah," was his dumb response. In his anger he had completely forgotten that he was going to get married to Fiona that day. He felt a bit nervous then but delighted that he was finally going to be having that day he had been waiting for a long time for.

"Come on. You have to get up and get ready. Your mom has already headed over to wake Fiona up and it's our responsibility to babysit you as well," Irvine said enjoying how he was riling Van up so easily.

"Oh shut up," Van murmured as he grabbed an ordinary t-shirt and threw it on over his head. 'No sense getting fully dressed up yet since it is still a few hours before the wedding really gets started,' he thought letting loose a yawn.

Dan watched his son walking around the room looking for things. "You sure seem calm. Last time you were a nervous wreck," he said even though he'd prefer never to have to think about that wedding ever again. 'It's all a bad memory now,' he thought with a sigh of relief.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't remind me of that time in my life. I plead temporary insanity for that one," Van said hating remembering how he had screwed up his life so badly back then.

"You can't plead temporary insanity if you're already completely insane," Irvine said with a big laugh and then quickly dodge the object that Van threw at his head. "I can remember that there was only one time that day when you actually seemed to smile and were actually calm," Irvine pointed out.

"Huh?" Van asked thinking back to that day and then he remembered. Irvine had taken to trying to convince him to call off the wedding that day and it ended up in a conversation about Fiona. It was weird since he was supposed to be happy about the wedding and yet he could only smile when he thought about Fiona.

It was then that Van remembered something else that had been brought up just a few months before. He couldn't help but smack his forehead as he remembered some words that Fiona had said to him.

Flashback

"I was there Van. I was there at your wedding a year ago," she said quietly and heard a slight gasp from Van. "Back then despite what I had done years before, I still harbored great feelings for you. I went to go talk to you," she said turning her head away. When she felt Van place a comforting hand on her shoulder she released a breath that she didn't know she had been holding.

"What happened Fiona? Why is it that I didn't see you there when you came to talk with me?" he asked staring at the back of her head as it trembled a little trying so hard to suppress a memory but failing.

"I went and I saw you. I saw how happy it was that you looked. There was a smile on your face that at one time you would only give to me. I felt kind of jealous, a little hurt, and I ended up just running away from there."

End Flashback

Van growled as he realized just what had actually happened that day when Fiona had apparently run off. "I was so stupid. How could I have not realized it sooner," Van said not realizing that he had actually said it out loud in his deep thought.

"I'm sure that's what we're all wondering," Irvine said even though he was wondering why Van had suddenly taken to agreeing with him. "Of course we all knew you were an idiot for actually getting married to Tiffany.

"It's not that bonehead," he said even though he knew that he was an idiot for getting married to Tiffany in the first place. "I was just remembering something that Fiona said to me a few months ago," Van explained to them.

At their confused looks Van decided to just tell them the whole story. "I'm going to kill you Irvine, do you know that?" Van asked which made Irvine take a hesitant step back. "Before I left Tiffany, Fiona told me something. She said that she was at that wedding and that she ran away because apparently I was smiling a smile that I used to only give her. This made her think that I was happier with Tiffany and she left. The thing is that I couldn't remember smiling like that on that day. I finally remember now that you brought it up. It's because you brought up that damn conversation. If you had kept quiet she might've tried stopping it!" he yelled at Irvine as the taller man backed up a few steps while swallowing his spit nervously.

'Oh shit!' Irvine thought not realizing until then the mistake that he had made. He had been so intent on getting Van to not marry Tiffany that he scared off probably the only person that probably would've really made a difference. If he hadn't done that then Fiona probably would've been able to. He then gave off a nervous laugh before he walked out of the room to avoid Van's obvious wrath.

"Sheesh, if Irvine had just kept his mouth shut then it would've saved both Fiona and I a lot of the pain that we went through with those two," he said thinking of both Ethan and Tiffany and growing angrier at the mere thought of it.

"You know Van," Dan said distracting his angry son. "You could've just taken his word anyway and it would've saved you a lot of pain anyways," he continued and chuckled at the dumbfounded look on Van's face. "Fate works in mysterious ways anyways. Everything happens for a reason and if you think about it all these problems have only served to bring you and Fiona closer together," he said and got confused when he saw Van grin.

"I know. I just wanted to scare him a little since he threw me off the bed like that," he said with a broad grin which caused his father to chuckle for a little. He had to admit though that he was still angry at the thought of all the crap Ethan and Tiffany put him and Fiona through. "Besides, it's in the past. I'd rather think about right now anyways," he said as he threw on his shoes so that he could go take a look around at how things were going.

"You've certainly grown up quite a lot since you first met Fiona Van," Dan muttered to himself as he watched his son leave the room. 'Don't worry George. Your daughter is in the best of hands,' he thought with a smile as he followed his son out of the room.

* * *

An hour that was all Fiona had left until she was no longer a Lynette. In an hour she would become Fiona Flyheight. 'No matter how many times I think about it, it just sounds so wonderful,' she thought trying her best to hold back her happiness. 

"I know you're happy Fiona but please calm own or I might end up tearing your hair out," Karin said with a sigh because she was trying to fix up Fiona's hair and yet the younger woman just couldn't seem to sit still for five seconds.

"I'm sorry," Fiona said with a blush as she lowered her head and remained quiet while trying her best not to get too excited again. She didn't want to go out and meet Van at the alter only to have him see her with only half a head of hair.

"When I'm through with you Fiona, you'll be the most beautiful bride in the world," Karin said as she swiped the brush through Fiona's long and beautiful blonde hair smoothing it out and getting rid of a few knots.

"They would've loved to see this day. It's too bad that they aren't here with us. Then again I'm sure that your parents must be watching from up in heaven," she said with a small sigh of sadness wishing that her best friend, the closest thing she had to a sister, could've been there to see the day that the two had been getting ready for since both Van and Fiona had been born.

"You know, I think you won't have much time to worry about the past soon. Knowing you and Van, you're bound to get pregnant in a few weeks at most. I put my bet in for tonight," she said with a grin as she saw Fiona blush a deep red.

"What?! You're placing bets on us?!" Fiona screamed at the older woman in complete embarrassment. "I can't believe this," Fiona muttered as the woman she thought of as a mother nodded her head happily.

"I've been placing bets on the two of you since the day you were born. I have almost never been wrong except once," she said and Fiona looked at her curiously. "I thought the two of you would be married as soon as you turned eighteen. I would've had my way too if it wasn't for the bitch," she said with a scowl.

"Well if it's any consolation to you I definitely would've accept without a second thought," Fiona said with a bright smile as she blocked out any thought about what that woman who called herself her mother had done to them.

"True. It's also another consolation that I would've made you whether you liked it or not," she said with a grin that got a small laugh from Fiona. "She and I wanted it more than anything and we would have it. Death meant nothing to our plans," she said with another grin but with a hint of sadness.

"Makes me wonder though. What would you have done if my father hadn't died and I just continued to live down there," Fiona muttered trying to think of what he life would've been life if she didn't have the chance to meet Van.

"It would've only have been a setback of only a few weeks. He had been coming down a lot a few weeks before his death. He had every intention of moving back down there to fulfill his beloved wife's last wish," she explained to Fiona as she finished with the bride's hair.

"So that's where he kept disappearing to. He never told me where he had been going. I just kept being sent over to our neighbor's place every once in a while," Fiona replied as she thought of those last few weeks with her father. She wished she could've spent more time with him instead of him being gone like that.

"Whenever he was down there, the only thing he seemed to talk about was how great his little girl was," she said fondly as she placed her hands on Fiona's shoulder. "He sure loved to brag about how great you are," she said with a laugh that Fiona joined in with a laugh of her own.

"Well he was just as great a father," Fiona said thinking of all her favorite memories of her father. "He seemed sad a lot of the time and I could never figure out why until just the other day. It must've taken a lot of strength to keep going on with the one he loved most. I don't know what I would do if anything happened to Van. He's become such a big part of my life that I just can't see my life without him in it. I can't help but wonder how my father managed it," Fiona said as she shivered at the thought of a life without Van.

"He was able to go on because he had you. For a while after you mother died he always worried if he could raise you properly when you were such a big reminder of her. He eventually managed to get around that fact and raise such a wonderful and beautiful daughter. I swear you look so much like your mother that it's not funny. One of the reason it was so surprising that you never realized the truth from the second tape he made. I thought I was seeing a ghost when you showed up at our house that first time with Van," Karin said before taking a quick breather after her small rant.

'When she talks about the past she sure can rant,' Fiona thought with a chuckle as they started to get to work on the next thing. "I just didn't want to admit the truth that a lot of what I believed was nothing but a lie. Van's another story though," Fiona said with a full blown laugh.

"That is definitely true. That son of mine can be so dense at times. I was worried that his denseness would stop the two of you from ever getting together," Karin said with a shake of her head. "All the more reason he's better off with you. You bring out the best in him. For that, I am the most thankful," she said giving Fiona a smile.

'I feel like I'm the one that had the best brought out of me by being with him. I guess we have the future to continue to bring out the best in each other. Three more hours, only three more hours before I get married to the love of my life,' Fiona thought being completely unable to stop the huge smile that came to her face at the thought of what was to come.

* * *

Van walked around a bit in the main hall. He looked on at how well the place was set up. 'Only a few more minutes,' he thought feeling a bit nervous but extremely happy at the same time. 'This is an event eight years overdue,' he thought getting anxious for the last few minutes to pass so that he could finally see his lovely bride. 

Van took a deep breath while attempting to straighten out his tux. He chuckled when he remembered the last time he was in this position. He was ready to tear his hair out and run away. He also remembered how all he seemed to do was question the reason he was marrying Tiffany.

Sure he was nervous but he wasn't nearly as worried about anything since he was marrying Fiona instead of Tiffany. 'A happy ending was just what I needed after all the crap Fiona and I have been through over the past few years,' he thought with a grin.

"Van!" Irvine called out as he navigated his way through the people who were invited to the wedding. "Come on. You better get in your place," he said as the few stragglers found their seats finally clearing things up and showing that everyone was there and ready to see the wedding.

Van took in another deep breath and smiled as him and Irvine headed up to the alter. 'Finally, it's time,' Van thought as the music in the hall suddenly changed to that of the wedding march. 'Now comes the grueling wait for the rest of the girls to get out of the way,' he thought watching Fiona's bridesmaids marching so slowly down the aisle. 'Speed it up!' he thought with a small growl growing impatient.

Meanwhile at the other end of the aisle Fiona was growing nervous. She only had a few seconds till she had to walk out but it felt like an eternity. Like Van, she was growing impatient since her bridesmaids were going too slowly.

Dan looked at his soon to be daughter-in-law and chuckled. "Settle down Fiona. Getting impatient now won't speed things up any," he said to the beautiful blonde who was going to marry his son. "Van's had quite an influence on you if you get so impatient about such a short amount of time," he said with a chuckle.

Fiona turned her head and looked at Dan with a smile. "Can you blame me? I was supposed to get married to Van years ago. This wedding was postponed way too much," she said with a bright smile.

Dan couldn't help but chuckle again and nod his head. "If you say so but I do believe it is finally our turn to head down," he whispered to her and she smiled as he led her down the aisle in place of her father.

The moment that Van saw Fiona, time seemed to freeze all around him. 'She looks absolutely stunning. Even more stunning than she usually is,' he thought as his eyes swept over her body taking in the site of the dress she was wearing. He had to desperately hold himself back in order to keep from taking her right then and there.

Fiona saw how intensely Van was looking at her and blushed. Fiona couldn't help but wonder though how he reacted to Tiffany walking down the aisle in her own wedding dress just a few years before.

Dan saw that Fiona was thinking about something and took a guess at what it was. "All he did was roll his eyes with how overly done she was with all the make up and how her dress was too flashy for his tastes," Dan said to calm Fiona's imagination.

Fiona had to bite the inside of her cheek in order to keep from laughing at the idea she was getting about then. She suddenly imagined Tiffany walking down the aisle looking like a clown. 'I better be careful, Van might try to take me before we actually say 'I do',' she thought with a chuckle.

After what felt like an eternity even though it had only be a few moments, Fiona finally reached the alter. She gave Dan a hug giving him a thank you before she turned towards Van. She took his hand which he was extending out to her with a smile and stepped forward so that she was standing right next to him.

"Dearly beloved," the priest started but everything else seemed like nothing but mere noises to Van and Fiona. The two of them were in their own little word waiting to finally say 'I do' and become man and wife for their rest of their lives.

"It's just so beautiful," Karin said as she dabbed at her eyes which had tears of happiness coming out. "It feels like it was just yesterday that we were watching Emily getting married as well," she said with such a happy smile.

Dan smiled as he wrapped his arms around his wife's shoulder and pulled her close to him. "I know. They both look just as happy since they had their wedding with the ones that they truly loved most in the world. I can see a much longer and happier life with those two though," he said and Karin nodded her head.

The wedding just seemed to drag on in Van's opinion. All he wanted was to say his vows, give her the ring, and then kiss her officially making her his wife once and for all. Yet the priest was dragging on with his words it felt like.

"And now, the bride and the bride and the have requested to say their own vows," the priest drawled on but his works finally snapped Van and Fiona out of the little trance that they had been in.

Van chuckled as he took a step closer to Fiona. "Well we finally made it this far. It's been such a long journey with far too many obstacles but we are finally here where we were always meant to get to together. From the moment that I first met you, I'd always hoped that you'd be the one I'd get to spend my life with even if I may not have acted like it sometimes," he said getting a giggle out of Fiona. "There have been high times and low time. Then there were times where I felt like I should give up on what I felt was a hopeless dream. Despite all that, all those times have only served to strengthen my feelings for you more and more. I can only see my feelings continuing to grow from here. I love you Fiona and I can only see myself with you for the rest of our lives," Van said as he took the ring that Irvine was holding out to him. "With this ring, you will finally be my wife," he finished up as he slid the ring onto her ring finger.

Fiona felt herself being on the verge of tears out of happiness. "You're right; we have been through so much. I see that as being mostly my fault but I intend to continue making up for all the time that we were forced to stay apart. I've had so much given to me over the years that meant nothing compared to the love that I feel from you everyday that I am around you. With all that I have heard about my parents I can't help but see how fragile life and love can be. Yet when I am with you I don't care. When I'm with you I am able to forget about all that and continue on with my life. I love you with all my heart Van and with this ring I will forever be yours just as you will forever be mine," she said as she took the other ring and slid it onto Van's finger.

Van took a look at the ring on his finger as he smiled and held it up for Fiona to see. Fiona did the exact same thing as she showed off her ring to the love of her life. They both smiled so deeply and happily as they were ready to kiss and start a new life for themselves and their soon to be family.

The priest nodded his head with a smile. "Now then, if there are those who see why these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace," he said and watched as the closest friends and family flinched as if knowing what was going to happen next.

'5, 4, 3, 2, 1…' Van thought and just as he reached zero the door swung open and a very angry Tiffany came storming into the room. 'She's just on time. How predictable,' Van thought rolling his eyes.

"I do! This wedding is an abomination that should never happen!" Tiffany screamed as she stormed down the aisle ready to try and take Van back for herself once and for all. "Don't do this Van! I am your wife and am the only one who could possibly ever be it!" she yelled with fake tears running down her face.

Van looked towards Fiona and saw how angry she was that Tiffany was trying to ruin their special day. He looked towards Moonbay who nodded as they took a step away from Fiona out of arms length.

Their actions were just in time since Tiffany reached the alter at the same time. She smiled when she saw Van take a step away from Fiona thinking that it was him finally acknowledging his mistake and was finally ready to come back to her.

That was Tiffany's ultimate mistake as a second later Fiona wildly turned around and landed a hard punch right into her nose. Everyone in the church flinched as the other woman was sent flying to the ground painfully.

'Huh?' Fiona thought looking at her fist as if she just realized what she had done. She laughed nervously as a few spectators chuckled. Despite her embarrassment she had no regrets about doing that. She had hurt Van too much and then she had the gall to try and ruin their special day.

"M-my nose!" Tiffany screamed as she held her profusely bleeding nose. "Van! You saw what she did to me didn't you?! Aren't you going to do something about it?!" she asked expecting him to stand up to her from anyone, even Fiona.

"Of course I am," he said and saw her smile. "Get out," he said turning back to the priest. "Just ignore her and continue," he said as the man watched on rather confused about what was going on around them.

Moonbay watched on but was getting a headache with all of Tiffany's complaining. "Excuse me for a second," she said as she turned and walked towards the door but not before grabbing the back of Tiffany's dress. When she got to the door she opened it and threw Tiffany out before taking a bow. She then turned and head back to the alter with a smile. "Now you can continue," she said since she saw Tiffany hit her head and knew that she would be knocked out for a while.

The confused priest looked around rather confused but the nod from the bride and groom assured him as he continued. "Very well. If there is no one else then I shall continue," he said taking a deep breath. "By the power invested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride," he said with a smile to the two lovers.

This was the part Van had been waiting for. He immediately grabbed Fiona and pulled her into his chest. He brought his lips down just as Fiona leaned up and they caught each other half way in the very first kiss of their married life.

Cheer erupted around them from friends and family alike as the moment that was many years in the making finally happened. The cheers meant nothing to Van and Fiona though since they were finally married and that was all that possibly mattered to the both of them.

* * *

Later that night after everything was said and done, Van and Fiona finally got around to heading towards the honeymoon suite. Van managed to get them there in record time out of anxiousness. 

"There's no need to rush Van. We have a lifetime to do this," Fiona said with a chuckle before she was suddenly swept off her feet when they were in front of the door. "Van," she breathed out as she looked into his passionate eyes.

"Sorry, but I just couldn't help myself," he said giving his new wife a kiss, 'god I love how that sounded,' he thought with a gentle smile. 'Soon she won't just be my wife but the mother of my children as well,' he thought getting even more excited than he was before. "So… go for the first try or prolong it and have a little fun first?" he asked her as he set her down on the bed.

"I think we've prolonged having children long enough," Fiona said with a grin since she knew that was what he wanted to hear and what she wanted to happen. "Honestly, what's the point of asking if you already knew the answer?" she questioned with a chuckle.

"No clue. Children it is then. Just like we both have always wanted," he said as Fiona wrapped her arms around her husband and pulled him down into a deep kiss. "I'm going for the first try," he said happily as he claimed her lips and shortly after claimed her body for their first time as man and wife.

* * *

Months past since then and Van and Fiona couldn't have been happier. Not much had really changed in the way they lived except that they were legally bound to each other. However, there was one big change that happened that the both of them couldn't be happier for. 

"This kid sure likes to tap dance on my spinal cord," Fiona muttered as she stretched her back while being careful not to hit her overgrown stomach on anything. Being nearly nine months pregnant was really painful for her.

They were barely back from their honeymoon when Fiona had heard the great news that she was already pregnant. Both her and Van had been so ecstatic about the news since they were able to get it done so quickly. Fiona would even bet that it really did happen on their wedding night.

Fiona could remember when she told Van about the great news. When she remembered the event all she could feel was great surges of happiness. Even right then she remembered it as vividly as before.

Flashback

Fiona was getting impatient. Van had gone out with Irvine on some sort of business. Yet while he was gone Fiona found out the best possible news that she could. She really wanted to tell Van but he was taking too damn long.

Finally after what seemed like a eternity of waiting, Fiona finally heard the door to the house open and Van's, "I'm home!" Fiona didn't waste any time when she heard his voice as she got up and raced to him and pretty much tackled him by accident when she was just trying to hug him.

"Whoa there, I've only been gone three hours and you act like I've been gone a lifetime," he said with a chuckle as he pulled himself and Fiona off the ground. "What's got you so excited?" he questioned as they walked deeper into the house.

"Quite a bit actually," Fiona said holding tightly onto Van's arm. "I found something out today that I simply couldn't wait to tell you about. You took so long getting home though," she said with a pout.

Van chuckled at her behavior. "I told you that Irvine and I would be gone for a few hours. I was actually gone for less than expected," he said chuckling again at how clingy she was being. "What was so important that you had to tell me? You could've easily have just called me cell phone," he said curious as to what was so important.

"This isn't something you just tell someone over the phone. Plus I wanted to see your face when I told you," she said and saw Van looking at her expectantly. "You, Van Flyheight, are going to be a daddy," she said and loved the look of shock that crossed his face. "That's right, I'm pregnant," she said grabbing his hand and placing it upon her still flat stomach.

Then something Fiona wasn't expecting happened. Van actually started to cry. Fiona knew that they were tears of happiness though. It filled her heart with so much pride at the fact that she was able to give the one she loved the thing that he wanted most in the world and those tears were proof of that.

"I don't… believe it," he said with a big smile as a few more tears escaped his eyes. Sure they had been trying but the fact that it is actually happening still shocked him so much. For a man who at one time had almost given up on having children of his own, this was a dream come true.

"Well you better," Fiona said giving the love of her life a soft and gentle smile as she held him. She then felt him grab a hold of her tightly and give her the tightest hug he could manage without hurting her. She just laughed at his excitement.

"This is… such great news!" he said holding her tightly. "I'm going to be a father. It's such great news!" he yelled smothering her with kisses as the tears of happiness that he had been shedding earlier disappeared as his happiness grew.

Fiona smiled at Van's reaction. 'This is truly the moments that I live for. Knowing that I can make him happy is the thing that means the world to me," she thought as she held him back tightly wishing that she never had to let go of him.

End Flashback

Things had been so wonderful since then. It had been so great being able to go baby shopping and all of that. They already had a room set up and everything for their soon to be child. Sometimes Fiona found herself in there more than any other room in the house.

"I just wish that you would hurry up and get out of there," Fiona said to her stomach with a pout. She wanted more than anything to hold their child in her arms. She could only imagine what the child would look like but it was hard since they didn't even know the gender. This made it hard to pick out names as well but at the same time it was what both of them wanted. They wanted to be surprised when it came to the baby's gender.

Shortly after the two found out the Fiona was pregnant, they moved back to the place they met and where their family was. They wanted their children to be able to grow up there as opposed to the big city that they were living. Sure Fiona missed the beach side house but having family around made it all the better.

Irvine and Moonbay had moved back down there before Van and Fiona had. They had the same idea of having their children grow up where they did and where their family was. It was lonely for a while after they left but everything was back to normal since Van and her had moved back as well.

Luckily for Van and Irvine, they had another company building placed in the city so there wasn't too much of a problem with them transferring themselves over to it. The building they worked in before was placed under Van's control when he was first starting training for the job. Meeting Tiffany just kept Van there longer and he just got used to being there. The place they transferred to was the original main office of it so it actually made things a lot more convenient for Van and Irvine.

"Ah," Fiona grumbled feeling a slight cramp in her stomach. It wasn't bad so she didn't worry about it too much right then. She did wish that it was contractions starting so that she would finally see their baby.

A pair of arms wrapped around Fiona's waist without her realizing anyone was there. "Van!" she giggled as he pressed himself up against her back. "Glad to see that you're home," she said holding out their dinner for the night for him to taste.

"Glad to be back home," he said taking the sample that she was holding out to him. "So how's the little one doing?" he asked placing his hands upon her stomach to feel their baby kicking around inside of her.

"Kicking up a storm. Not to mention dancing on my spinal cord all day," she said with a giggle which got one from Van. "How much longer do you think it will be?" she asked her love with a big pout.

"No clue. I'm hoping just a few more days at most though. I can't wait to hold her in my arm," Van said since he really wanted to have a little girl that was just like Fiona. He felt that would be perfect first child for them.

"Yeah well with all the kicking it has to be a boy. You should trust my female intuition," Fiona said with a small grin. Just like Van wanted a girl, Fiona wanted their baby to be a boy, one that was just like Van.

"I will hold my judgment on your intuition," he said with a small frown thinking of the Ethan. He knew that Fiona knew what he was talking about. "Mine is just as bad as well considering the problem we had with Tiffany. So this can go any way," he said and Fiona nodded as Van her let go and went to go sit at the table.

For a little while after they first got married, Tiffany had still been coming around to harass the two of them. She went about throwing around accusations that Fiona had cheated on him and that the baby wasn't his. Van finally hit the breaking point and filed a restraining order on the woman. He knew it was something that he should've done right from the get go. He wasn't quite sure why he didn't do it in the first place. Luckily she stopped harassing the two of them after that for fear of getting into more trouble that could possibly ruin her more than her divorce to Van did.

Ethan, from what they had heard, killed himself. Knowing that he would be spending far too much time of his life in jail, not to mention the fact that he had lost what he had left of his company to someone else who used the opportunity that he was in jail to take over the company, he ended up hanging himself from what they heard with his bed sheets to avoid having to go back to a low class life when he got out of jail.

Van and Fiona didn't feel anything when they heard the news of what he did. Sure they didn't approve of suicide but after all that he had done, it made it hard for them to feel any sympathy for the man.

Fiona didn't take any offense to Van's statement about her intuition. The two of them had put it all behind them. Nowadays they more used it as a joke if anything else. Like what happened to them was nothing more than a bad dream.

"Whatever you say. Just remember that whoever is right gets to name the baby," she said with a smile as she started to serve up the food. They had made a deal concerning the baby. When the baby was born, whoever guessed the gender right would get to name the child. Fiona already had several boys names picked out. She had told Van many of them and he liked most of them.

Much to Fiona's frustration, Van was keeping his choice of names under wraps. All Fiona knew was that he had a very specific name picked out and she couldn't get a single clue out of him as to what it was. All Van would say when she asked was, "That's a secret."

Fiona picked up the plates filled with food and carefully started to bring them over to where Van was sitting and waiting patiently. Unfortunately her body had other plans. Shortly after she started to walk over, pain shot through her body.

The plates fell out of Fiona's hands and shattered on the floor as she collapsed to her knees holding onto her stomach which was throbbing painfully. 'Is it finally happening?' Fiona asked herself even though the pain seemed like an good indication that it was finally time.

Van heard the plates shatter and looked over to see Fiona on the floor. "Fiona!" Van yelled as he immediately stood up and ran over to her side. "Are you ok? Is it the baby?" he asked frantically as he quickly picked her up and carried her away from all the broken glass.

"I think it's time Van," Fiona said wishing that the pain would go away. "We need to get to the hospital," she said and Van nodded as he set her down upon their couch and then went to go grab the bag they had set up for the occasion.

While Van headed to the bedroom to grab the bag he pulled out his cell phone. He dialed in a number and a few moments later his mother picked up the phone. "Hey mom. Listen I don't have much time to talk. Fiona is going into labor and I wanted to let you know," he said and then quickly pulled the phone away from his ear to avoid the high pitched squeal of delight his mother released from the other end.

"That's great news. I'll call everyone and tell them. Then we'll head right over to the hospital," Karin said not even able to contain her delight in the least. "You just worry about Fiona right now. Let us do the other work. We'll meet you at the hospital," she continued before the phone went dead.

'Leave it to her not to waste any time on a matter such as this,' Van thought with a chuckle as he threw the phone into his pocket and grab his things. He threw the bag over his shoulder and ran back to the room where Fiona was waiting.

"I called my parents and told them the news. They'll call everyone and meet us down there," Van said and Fiona nodded as Van kneeled down and picked her up. "Come one, we have a baby to deliver," he said kissing Fiona's lips and carried her to the car.

Once Van was sure that Fiona was securely fastened into the car, he ran over to the driver's side and got in. He then drove like a bat out of hell towards the hospital. It only took about twenty minutes to get there which Van was thankful for. He couldn't stand the cries of pain from his beloved wife.

Van couldn't believe his eyes when he pulled up to the hospital. His parents were already there. "How the hell did they do that? They live further away from the hospital than we do!" Van said in disbelief seeing them there waiting for the two of them.

"Where were the two of you? We've been waiting here for nearly ten minutes," Karin said as the car stopped in front of them. "I'll take care of the car, you get Fiona in there. We already have everything set up," she said and a confused Van nodded.

"Best not to ask," Dan said as his son passed him. "I'm going to be having nightmares for a week remembering how we got here," he said clearly seeing Van's confusion as to why they were already there. "That's just how dedicated of a grandmother she is though," he said with a chuckle.

"Point taken," Van murmured already getting a good idea what happened. She probably went three or four times the speed limit just to get there when she did. Van couldn't help but wonder how she wasn't able to be pulled over. 'Then again, they probably couldn't catch up to her,' he thought with a chuckle as he carried Fiona into the hospital. "How're you holding up Fiona?" Van asked looking at his wife worriedly.

"F-fine," she said even though she looked to be in a lot of pain. Despite being in so much pain she had this big smile on her face. This was a pain that she was happy to put up with since it had something very special for her at the end. That was the part that she wanted to get to the most and she'd put up with any pain to get there.

Van smiled at her as he laid a gentle kiss to her lips before he placed her down into a wheelchair. "Just put up with it for a little longer Fiona. If you do that we will finally have a child of our own," he said and she smiled and nodded at her love.

The doctor then approached him. "Good to see the two of you," he said smiling at the two of them. "We've already got everything set up for the birth," he said as he turned around and started to lead the two of them to the maternity ward.

* * *

The wait was killing Karin. Ten hours had passed and there wasn't any news as to how things were going. "I hope that it won't be much longer," she murmured running her hands through the hair of her oldest grandchild's hair since he was sleeping with his head rested on her lap. 

"I'm sure everyone else was saying that when you were in labor with Van and Maria," Dan said with a grin which got him a glare from Karin. "Besides, weren't you the one calming Fiona down for the same reason when Lily and Jeremy were born?" he questioned while still grinning.

"This is a completely different situation!" Karin screamed at him. "Last time it wasn't the first grandchild between the four of us!" she screamed since that was what she liked most about this child. It was a grandchild between her and the three best friends she ever had.

Dan sighed knowing that she was right but at the same time knowing that he had to calm her down. "Yeah well I'm sure that they'd want you to calm down so that you didn't hurt yourself," Dan responded and shrank back at the glare that she gave him.

"Bullshit! She'd be right here next to me complaining about the exact same thing. This was our greatest dream and I know that she would be the exact same as me!" she yelled at him before calming down so as to not wake the screaming Mike.

Dan hated to admit it but he knew that his wife was right. When it came to eccentrics, Fiona's mother was worse than Karin. He could almost see her spirit right next to Karin screaming about the long wait.

"Give it up dad, you're not going to win," Maria said as she walked over with a tray full of coffee. "Here, I'm sure that the two of you could really use some right now," she said and they both thanked her as they each picked up a cup.

'If this is how Karin is going to be with each of our future grandchildren then I don't think I will be able to take much more,' Dan thought since she had been just the same when Michael had been born. She was equally excited for that but for more that it was her first grandchild. He knew she'd love all her grandchildren the same though.

* * *

Van stared at Fiona as she breathed heavily from all the effort that she had been exerting. She'd just gotten through a round of pushing and they were giving her a quick break to catch her breath. "You're doing great so far Fiona," he said reaching out his hand and gently brushing the bangs away from Fiona's sweat drenched forehead. 

"This is… so hard. I don't know if I can keep doing this," Fiona said weakly as she tried to catch her breath. "It hurts too much and I'm not exactly that strong of a person," she said negatively.

"Don't talk like that. You're a very strong person Fiona. You just need to have a bit more faith in yourself. I have every faith in your ability to do this," he said giving her hand a tight squeeze in assurance.

Fiona smiled at Van's words. "Alright Mrs. Flyheight. We need you to start pushing again. We are almost there. A few more pushes should be enough," the doctor said from his position at Fiona's legs.

"Come on Fiona," Van cheered on his wife as she started to push with all of her strength. Her grip on the hand that was holding her own tightened to damn near bone crushing strengths. 'My hand's gonna break soon,' Van thought with a wince but put up with it since Fiona was going through much worse pains.

"I swear Van! I'm getting you neutered after this!" Fiona screamed out as she turned her glare towards her husband. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it Van. It was the pain talking," she said suddenly looking at him with all the love in the world.

Although her words unnerved him a bit, Van just smiled at her to give her assurance. "I know. Now just keep pushing," Van said as Fiona once again pushed with as much strength as she could. "Come on, just a little more," he urged her on even as his hand became completely numb.

"Then why don't you take over and start pushing!" Fiona screamed out in pain once again before she couldn't push anymore right then and fell limp. "I don't think I can take much more of this," Fiona said on the verge of tears.

"Of course you can Mrs. Flyheight. Just give us one more giant push," the doctor urged since they were already so close. "One more giant push is all that it should take," he repeated giving the soon-to-be mother a smile.

Fiona shakily nodded her head before taking a deep breath and pushing as hard as she possibly could. 'I can't stop now. Our baby is so close,' she thought feeling herself a bit more reenergized at the thought as she pushed even more than she thought she was able to.

What Fiona heard next made all the pain from the labor seem worth it. The sound of a baby's cry rang through the room as their first child was born. 'I- I did it,' she thought as tears of happiness leaked down her face.

"Way to go Fiona," Van said as he gave her a deep kiss on the lips. The sound of crying had never sounded so wonderful to him. He then felt his own few tears of happiness from the sound. His biggest dream had finally come true; he finally had a child of his own.

Fiona saw how happy Van looked right then. He had the same kind of look that he had the day that she had first told him that she was pregnant. 'I'm glad that I'm able to bring that look to his face,' she thought for like the millionth time.

"Congratulations you two, you have a healthy baby girl," the doctor said as he handed the baby to a nurse so that she could be cleaned before meeting her parents for the first time. "We'll just clean her up a bit and then let you see her," he said nodding to the two new parents.

"A girl," Fiona murmured finding it hard to believe that she was a mother even though she had just gone through so many hours of labor. "We have a daughter Van," she said giving him a big and pure smile.

Van smiled even more since he really wanted to have a daughter that would be just like her mother. "I bet she'll look just like her mother," he said giving Fiona a kiss as their new daughter was finally cleaned up a bit and being brought back to the two of them.

Fiona held out her arms wanting so badly to be able to hold the child that she had been carrying inside of her for the last nine months. When she was put into her arms, Fiona knew that there was nothing left in the world that she could possibly want.

Van sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the little girl. Imagining what his baby would look like didn't seem to do any justice. She was much better than any image he made up in his mind.

The little girl had a few small tufts of blonde hair. Van was sure that for a moment she opened her eyes slightly to look at her parents and saw that her eyes were also crimson. She looked like a miniature replica of Fiona.

"Great, I'm going to be beating off guys with a stick," he said with a chuckle. "Maybe I should start a sword collection, that ought to be fun," he said out loud making Fiona roll her eyes since she could tell that he was going to be a protective father.

"Well I doubt that you'll be beating off a lot of guys. I did promise Moonbay that we would try to get her and Jeremy together," she said with a smile as her hand came up to stroke the soft skin of her daughter's cheek.

Van groaned as he remembered the promise. "I just met my daughter and it already feels like I've lost her to some boy," Van jokingly said which got a chuckle from his wife. "I'll just have to make sure that he'll become a guy that I can trust with my daughter's life," he said kissing the top of his little girl's head.

The doctor hated to break up the scene but he had to know what they planned to name the baby. "So, have the two of you thought of a name for the baby," the doctor asked holding a clipboard ready to write down whatever name they chose.

Fiona immediately looked at Van. "Well Van? You won the bet, you get to name her. Now please tell me what this top secret name of yours is," she said since she had been waiting months since he thought of it and wanted to finally hear what it was.

"Isn't it obvious? I could only think of one possible name that would be best for her as well as being one that I knew you would like," he said before taking a look at the little girl. He knew that the name was definitely the right choice. "Her name will be…" he said making a dramatic pause for fun, "Emily."

Just hearing the name that Van chose made Fiona tear up in happiness. Her bottom lip started to quiver as if she was about to burst out crying completely. He was willing to name their first daughter after her mother. There was no describing the happiness that she felt when she heard that he chose that name.

"So… Emily Flyheight?" the doctor questioned making sure that it was alright with the mother. When he saw her nod happily, he just smiled and wrote down the name on the clipboard. "Very well, I will go tell your families. Would you like to see any of them?" he asked curiously.

"I'm sure my mother would kill us if she didn't get to meet Emily as soon as humanly possible," Van said making Fiona laugh and nod her head. "That would be great," Van responded to the doctor and he nodded as he left the room.

* * *

Karin was damn near ready to fall asleep. The only thing that was really keeping her going was her drive to meet the new member of the family. "It's been thirteen hours. It's eight in the morning and I haven't slept at all," she murmured taking a sip of another coffee that was just handed to her. 

The sound of the door opening brought Karin out of her stupor as she looked up and saw the doctor standing there. "D-does this mean…" she started but found herself unable to say the words.

The doctor smiled at her and nodded his head. He couldn't help but chuckle when he saw her start bouncing around the room in happiness. "The delivery went on without a hitch and she gave birth a beautiful baby girl," he said as saw Karin stop bouncing around.

"I have… a granddaughter?" she said and saw him nod. The just increased her happiness even more if that was even possible. "I have a granddaughter. I can't wait to spoil her rotten," she said with a big grin like the Cheshire Cat.

Before the doctor was even able to say another word, Karin went sprinting right past him and started running towards the delivery room. "Ok, now I see why the said that she would kill them she wasn't let in quickly," he said and the rest of the family as well as Irvine and Moonbay laughed. "Mr. Flyheight, you can go in there with her as well. It would be best if you all just took turns so as not to upset the mother and baby. It has been a long delivery," he said and they all nodded as he led Dan through the doors.

On the other side of the door they ran into Karin who seemed to be on the verge of tears. "I don't know where the room is," she said in tears causing the two men to burst out in laughter. She was acting like a little kid rather than a grown adult.

"Come on, it's not very far," he said as she straightened herself up. He then started to lead them down one hall and came to a stop at a certain door. "I'll just leave you all alone for now," he said and they nodded as he walked off.

Karin took a deep breath and opened the door as saw the new parents with their newborn daughter. At that moment Van had been holding the baby looking at her so lovingly. "So this is her huh?" Karin said as she quietly approached the bed. "She's so adorable. She looks just like you Fiona," she said lightly stroking the soft skin of the baby's cheek. "What did you name her?" she questioned curiously. She too had been wondering since Van had been keeping that a secret from everyone, not just Fiona.

Much to Karin's surprise, Van just grinned and Fiona looked ready to cry. "We decided to name her Emily," Van said and watched as his mother face immediately mimicked Fiona's face as tears of happiness sprung up and her lips quivered as she tried to hold back the onslaught of tears.

"It's… it's… perfect," she said as she remembered her best friend and how she would've been happy to hear that they named their first child after her. "I'm sure she would've been happy too," she said speaking her thoughts.

"I wanted a name that would mean something special. Something that would mean even more to Fiona. There has never been any other name on my mind except for that one," he explained and his parents nodded her head. "Would you like to hold her?" Van asked his mother who nodded her head enthusiastically.

Van carefully handed over his little girl even though he wanted to be able to hold her for a little longer. 'Then again, I'll have all the time in the world,' he thought as he watched his mom doting over her new granddaughter.

Karin held her new grandchild so gently and lovingly. 'I can already tell, you'll be just like your namesake. I'll make sure of that,' she said leaning down and giving Emily a small and gentle kiss on the cheek.

Fiona watched the touching scene between Emily and her grandmother. 'This is how it was always meant to be. I'm now part a one great big family after being stuck for years with a woman who continued to hurt me and lie to me. Now I am happy and nothing can change that,' she thought getting eager to truly start her new family.

Seven Years Later

"Hey, come on. There's something neat that I want to show you," a now seven year old Emily said grabbing onto the hand of a young boy who looked to be around her age. "It's really cool," she added on with a big smile.

"What's so great about it Emmy?" Lily asked using her affectionate nickname for her best friend while her twin brother Jeremy, whose hand was still being pulled by Emily, stood next to her.

"It's really cool. My daddy got me this new toy earlier that I really want to show to you," she said still tugging on Jeremy since he wasn't budging. "Oh come on Jeremy, it's really neat," she said with an infamous pout she made to get her way with him. Jeremy always fell for it.

"Oh come on, it's probably just some girly toy. Why would I want to see something like that?" Jeremy responded trying not to make contact with the younger girls eyes or he felt that he would lose all resistance and go anyways even if he didn't want to. This youngest of the group of three always seemed to manage to do that to him.

"Pretty please?" Emily said giving off her puppy dog eyes that he had the misfortune of seeing. He groaned and Emily cheered as she managed to get him moving towards where the toys were located.

Fiona smiled as she watched the three children rush by her. Irvine and Moonbay's twins as well as her oldest child Emily were the best of friends. They were still too young to understand romance and all that but Fiona had a really good feeling about a future between Emily and Jeremy. The two of them were even closer even though she was sure that Jeremy didn't want to admit it. He was just as stubborn as his father.

"Hey now, don't run in the house," Fiona called after the three of them as they rushed past her while she was carrying a tray of cookies for the children to eat. "Kids," she said as she set the plate down.

The three then came running back, grabbed a few cookies and then ran off in the direction of all of Emily's toys. Fiona chuckled again as she grabbed on and gave it to her three year old son who was waiting patiently by her legs for the cookies that he must've smelt coming.

After seven years, Van and her had built up a beautiful family. They currently had three children, with a fourth to come but Fiona had yet to tell her husband about the fact since she just found out. She did intend to tell him later that day but he was out on an errand for her right then.

Their oldest child Emily was pretty much an exact replica of her mother only she was a miniature version. According to Karin though, she had a tendency to take more after her namesake than she did Van or Fiona.

Their second child was barely a year younger than Emily and his name was Nathaniel. Unlike Emily, he was an exact replica of his father in terms of looks and had the exact same personality to match his father as well.

"Mom, have you seen Mandy? She took one of my toys without telling me again," Nathaniel said rushing into the room looking around for the girl in question. "Where is she?" he questioned again.

"I think I saw her in the backyard. Don't just go and take it from her though. Be sure to share," she called after him as he ran towards the backyard. She couldn't help but smile at her oldest son.

Mandy was the daughter of Karl Shubaltz and his wife. They were really good friends of the family and Fiona couldn't help but feel grateful to Karl for all the help he gave to her and Van in the past. They had married not long after Van and Fiona had and their daughter was born about a years after Nathaniel was born.

She was a real cutie in Fiona's opinion. She had the sandy blonde hair that was natural of a Shubaltz but instead of their green eyes, she had deep ocean blue eyes which she got from her mother. Her and Nathaniel had become really good friends with one another. They were two people that she hoped she could see together sometime in the future just like Emily and Jeremy.

Sadly Karl's happiness didn't quite extend to his younger brother. Thomas was the same as he had always been. Even after seven years he was still pining after Fiona. Fiona knew that he could be happy if he just moved on but he didn't seem to want to. Fiona felt bad for him but she couldn't give her heart to anyone besides Van no matter how much Thomas wished otherwise.

Then there was the final but definitely not last child of theirs named Derek. He was a mix between his parents unlike his siblings. He had the kind crimson eyes of his mother but the dark hair of his father. He was a rather quiet child like his mother though even though his face was more like his father's.

Finally there was her. Seven years may have passed but she was still as happy as ever with Van. The two of them didn't work together anymore. She had left the business and went back to school to become what she had always wanted to be, a teacher. Sure she missed working with Van but this was the job that she had really always wanted to do. She really only went into business because of that woman.

Fiona hadn't seen her for years and she was very grateful. After knowing that the secret had been let out, she seemed to keep her distance from them. Fiona preferred not to think of her anymore. If she saw her she pretended that they were just strangers that knew nothing about one another.

A pair of arms snaked around Fiona's waist without her realizing it until it happened. "Hey there Van," Fiona said leaning back into his chest as he gave her a sweet kiss on the lips. Eight years of marriage and the two of them were still as passionate with one another as they were when they were first married.

"Hey there sweetie," Van said as he buried his face into her neck. "I may have only been gone an hour but it feels like a lifetime," he said with a grin even though he knew how cheesy it sounded.

Fiona chuckled as she turned around in his embrace. "I bet," was all she said as she lightly pecked him on the lips. Years of being together and years of marriage had showed her just how much she relied on Van. He was her husband, her lover, and her best friend in the whole world.

Fiona sometimes wondered what would happen if they had never met again that fateful day. Would she have married Ethan without realizing about the true him? Would he still be married to Tiffany? Such thoughts scared her but at the same time assured her that he truly loved her and wanted to be with her since they didn't happen that way.

The happiness she felt in high school, the loneliness she felt in college, the pain she felt with Van's marriage, the happiness she felt when she saw him one again, and even the confusion that followed after that for a while. There were times she wished that she could forget some of those painful times in her life. She knew though that those were truly unforgettable days that helped to shape the happiness that she had finally been able to build with Van and her children.

* * *

An event four years in the making. I have finally finished this story. I hope all of you liked the final chapter to Unforgettable. An extra long final chapter for just this occassion. Longest one of the entire story. LOL! I hope to eventually get to the wedding night lemon but i have no clue when i will be able to do it so please be patient. Well be sure to read and review. 


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